


Hey Jude: Don't make it bad

by ThebabydollDahlia



Series: SPN rewrite [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Angel Sex, Angel Wings, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Archangel Blades (Supernatural), Episode: s04e22 Lucifer Rising, Eventual Smut, F/M, Heavy Angst, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt Sam Winchester, Lucifer Feels, M/M, My First Smut, POV Third Person Omniscient, Possessive Lucifer, Protective Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester's Demonic Powers, Season Rewrite, Season/Series 04, Soulmates, Winged Castiel (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:07:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 70,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23943640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThebabydollDahlia/pseuds/ThebabydollDahlia
Summary: Ariel is created.
Relationships: Dean Winchester/Original Female Character(s), Lucifer/Original Female Character(s), Ruby/Sam Winchester, Sam Winchester & Original Female Character(s)
Series: SPN rewrite [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726081
Kudos: 4





	1. The Guardian

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter Warnings: Angst, fluff if you squint hard enough
> 
> * This is really bad, so I'm sorry everyone lol.

"Boys, Come to my throne room, I have an important announcement," God commanded, his voice booming all throughout heaven and the universe.

Lucifer and Gabriel glanced at one another, unsure of what could be so important at this exact moment. Lucifer and Gabriel stood up from their seats in the lounge room, walking past the observation room. The observation room allowed the Archangels as well as God to watch black holes and galaxies. It was deemed "Michael's thinking space." In his opinion, it was quiet, undisturbed and all of the colors were extraordinary. Michael stayed seated, watching a comet tear through a cloudburst of gas.

"Hey bro, let's go. Y'know how he gets when we are late." Lucifer nudged his brother, pulling him back into reality. Gabriel offered his older brothers a soft smile, before flying to his father's throne room. Gabriel's true form was as bright as the sun, his wings golden. He stood proudly in his designated spot, wings unfurled.

"Hello, Gabriel."

"Hello, Father."

One by One all of the boys were standing in front of their creator, wings unfurled. God's white light overshone the boys', creating a soft blue glow of ambiance. "Hello, Lucifer." He greeted his favorite with a smile before turning to the others. "Michael, Raphael." He nodded as he said their names.

"What is wrong father?" Michael asked, genuinely concerned.

A burst of red light flashed through God's throne room, casting an eerie glow. It hovered in front of his throne before another burst of light came, wings unfurling revealing three sets of big beautiful red wings.

The boys all stared in confusion. Did he seriously create another archangel? Was four not enough? Maybe he wanted something different. Michael's brows furrowed as he stared into the light but soon his face relaxed as his eyes were met with cold blue ones. Michael white-knuckled his lance, unsure of how he felt about a female archangel. Things would certainly change and he didn't know if it was for the better or worse.

"Say hello to the Archangel Ariel. She will be your sister. Treat her with respect." God commanded, and with that, he left to work on his new 'Project'.

The four stared at the new addition, all wary of her true form. She was small but powerful for certain but soft in her own way. What should they even say? 'Hey welcome to the family? He's never around' No that was stupid. 'Hey come here often?' No that was dumb. The tension in the air grew thick before finally, Lucifer cut it.

"Hello, Ariel. Your wings are... uhh, beautiful I am-" Lucifer spoke slowly, his older brother interrupting him. "I am Michael," He puffed his chest, flapping his strong, white wings while flashing her his grace charged irises. Lucifer rolled his eyes and stepped down from his pedestal, walking slowly toward his new sibling.

"Ignore his flexing, I am Lucifer..." He bowed as he spoke, his wings draping at his sides, mimicking his motions. "He likes to show off. " He whispered shouted, purposely wanting Michael to hear.

The other boys stayed put on their pedestals, watching their second eldest brother interact with their youngest sibling. They were intrigued but not enough to move, in fear of how she might react to all of them bombarding her with introductions. They let Lucifer take the lead.

"That's Raphael, He keeps to himself but overall will warm up to you. Don't worry." He gestured toward the figure with dark gray wings.

"And... that's Gabriel. He likes to joke around so watch your wings!" Lucifer snickered, casting Michael a side-eye as he remembered the time Gabriel made Michael's wings purple. He adjusted himself, giving his pale pink wings one good flap before turning to face all his male siblings.

"Michael will show you around, Father needs me," Lucifer spoke with a deep tone, one with uncertainty. He disappeared with the sound of flapping wings.

"Michael..." She spoke softly, his name rolling off her tongue. The sound of her voice was intoxicating, it reminded Michael of stars being born, the beauty in supernovas. He gazed intently with furrowed brows, anticipating her next words.

The female brought her hand to her chest, "Ariel..." She said with a breathy tone, uncertainty in her tone. She seemed confused, flustered and overwhelmed. She glanced behind her watching as she stretched her red and white wings, flexing. Ariel closed her eyes, blinking hard before opening them again. Her soft, pink, grace charged irises burrowing deep into Michael's skull.

Several billion years later, Ariel laid in the garden, watching as the clouds passed by. 'Ariel' A gruff voice echoed in her head, someone must be praying. 'Ariel, come home.' His words were spoken with urgency, meaning something horrible was happening. "Castiel..." She prayed, acknowledging his prayer whilst bringing herself to her feet.

Ariel avoided heaven as much as she could, trying to avoid her brothers arguing, the hate and jealousy, it was too much for her. When she could, she came to earth tending to the dying trees and flowers, watching the animals that were until she was needed.

When Castiel was created, her view changed. He was more awkward than other angels but was tough when needed to be. He was feared, respected, a soldier but he also held a tiny bit of compassion in him. When life first came into being, the gray fish heaving itself up on the beach, she stood next to him, him occasionally glancing at her

with a warm smile.

With a strong flap of her wings, she appeared next to her younger brother, observing what has unraveled in front of them. All of the angels stood in rows, by rank. The Archangels, Seraphim then soldier angels and so on. Ariel took her place beside her three brothers, specifically next to Lucifer. Her wings twitched as she watched Michael take ahold of Gadreel, the gatekeeper of The Garden.

"Gadreel?" Ariel spoke with soft tenderness, concern laced in her voice. "Brother, why are you arresting him? What has he done? Nothing. Let him be." She snapped at her eldest brother, cutting in front of him. She glanced at Gadreel with weary eyes, trying to read his eyes but they were full of guilt.

Ariel slowly stepped back as she saw the wrath in Michael's eyes, bringing her hand to her chest. Of course, she was furious also, but Michael was older, stronger.

"Step aside, little one." Michael sneered, trying his best to not knock her aside as he rushed past her with a weakened Gadreel.

Gadreel kept his eyes on the ground as he couldn't look at her, the Guardian Angel of Nature in the eyes. He shouldn't have trusted Lucifer, not after the last fight Lucifer and Michael had, but his words were so convincing.

Michael made his way in front of God's throne, awaiting his orders.

"Gadreel," God spoke, his voice boomed all throughout heaven, fear arising in all of the angels.

"You have failed your duties in Guarding the Garden of Eden. You defied my direct orders in not only letting one Archangel sneak in but two! One of the two Angels have not harmed my creation but the other... I have no choice but to imprison you for the rest of eternity for your...mistake as you'd like to call it." God spoke with hate laced in his voice, it wasn't at all subtle.

Michael grabbed Gadreel by his throat before dragging him off to prison. But that was just the beginning of everything. All the Angels stood before their creator, shaken to their core at his wrath.

Ariel looked at the scene before her with wide eyes, her wings close to her back. She knew what was next, she had to face punishment.

Michael returned, standing next to the Creator's throne with his lance in hand. He gripped the wood tight, his eyes fixed on his little sister and younger brother.

"Ariel, Lucifer!" God shouted, causing Ariel to flinch at her name. She glanced up at her older brother, fear painting her face. Lucifer slightly glanced at his little sister, watching her freeze with fear. It wasn't like Ariel to freeze, she was a fearsome warrior, a vengeful guardian angel that could smite anyone with a thought. Lucifer felt sorry for her, she wasn't the one in trouble, he was.

His fingers softly brushed against hers, gaining her attention. Ariel quickly intertwined their fingers, tightly holding onto her elder brother. Together, they walked forward and stood before the Lord.

"Ariel, do not touch him. I will not allow him to corrupt anything else." God glared at their hands. His once most favorited son is now his most despised. "NOW." He commanded and with a wave of his hand, he sent Lucifer crashing to the ground.

"How dare you? How dare you stand before me, holding hands with your sister as if you hold any compassion? You were to love my creation..." God stared at the floor, troubled.

"Ariel, next time I command, listen. Come stand next to Michael and your brothers." He spoke.

Lucifer pleaded, looking up at his father with wide eyes, ""Father, I can't. These human beings are flawed. Murderous!" he bellowed, looking over to his sister for assistance. "Ariel, Little one, Join me, please. Tell father how flawed they are, they murder, rape, pillage. They do not deserve such love!" He gripped Ariel's satin dress, preventing her from leaving his side.

Michael took a step forward with his hand out before he stopped himself from continuing any further. He furrowed his eyebrows, guilt written on his face. His wings were tight against his back as he heard his brother plead. What Lucifer said was true, but father's rules came before everything else...even family.

"Micah! Tell him, Join me! Stand by my side. Brother!" Lucifer shouted, pulling him out of his shaken state. Michael's eyes met his little brother's. He didn't want to watch any further, he couldn't. He closed his eyes, blinking hard before opening them again.

Gabriel stood beside Raphael, his eyes filled with sadness. A brother he once loved now corrupted. He closed his eyes as he couldn't watch any longer. Raphael stood on the left side of the throne, face stoic.

"Enough!" God shouted, waving his hand once more, sending his son flying towards the opposite end of the room. He snapped his fingers, Ariel appearing beside Michael and before anything else could happen she took Michael's hand in hers.

"You rebel against me, grow jealous of my creation. You leave me no choice, Lucifer. You will be cast out of heaven." God commanded, standing up from his throne and making his way towards the center of the mass room. He snapped his fingers a swirling hole appearing in the white tile, growing in size.

Gusts of wind blew past Ariel's face, sending her dress flapping in the wind. She furrowed her brows, tears forming in her eyes.

"Luci..." She prayed silently, pleading for him to listen. "Luci, I love you..." She closed her eyes as she prayed, gripping Michael's hand tighter.

Lucifer looked up to see her holding hands with Michael but praying to him. A smile crept across his face as he heard her say I love you. He stood proudly, knowing what was bound to happen now. He kept the smile on his face as he walked toward his father, proud to show the other Angels the man they are worshipping. Someone who would cast out their own son because he couldn't worship and serve puny hairless apes.

"Let this be an example of what could happen to you..." God spoke slowly as he made his way to his throne. "Michael, cast him out." He commanded.

Ariel's eyes shot open at his words. "No..." She whispered but it was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Not Michael...that is not right, Father please be reasonable-" Her words were cut off, her voice gone. She looked up at her father, his hand in a fist.

Silently, Michael prayed to her, 'It will be alright.' He let go of her hand, making his way to his fallen brother. Michael with his lance swirled it in his hands before aiming it at his young brother. He lunged at Lucifer, not to hurt him but to put fear into him and so he did.

Lucifer slowly walked around his brother, making his way to the giant whirlpool of darkness. "Remember me.." He muttered, looking at Ariel then at his father. He sneered as he turned to face his 'brother'.

Michael raised his hand, the sky opening up to reveal a bright, white light. "I, Archangel Michael, on behalf of the Lord...cast the Archangel Lucifer out of heaven!" He immediately brought his hand down, smiting his brother and sending him careening down the hole.

"Lucifer has fallen!" He bellowed, his voice cracking as he said his brother's name.

After Lucifer's fall, things changed.

Soon after Lucifer's fall, horrible things followed. The corruption of man.

She stood with Castiel when the Tower of Babel fell, Cain & Abel, Sodom, and Gomorrah, Demons, Lilith, Knights of Hell. God had no choice but to create The Cage with over 600 seals.

Millions of years later, Gabriel had disappeared, he went to earth one day and then vanished. That left Ariel alone with a now hardened Michael and a power-driven Raphael.

Then after Gabriel, God left. He claimed that heaven had the three of them to command the host, that they didn't need him. He was wrong.

There was a prophecy written eons ago. A tale of two boys, two vessels who would start the apocalypse and bring on the end of God's creation. Most angels were trying to prevent the end, but others like the Seraphim Zachariah, they wanted the world to end. Ariel would be sent down to hell, along with Castiel to save Dean Winchester and stop the apocalypse.


	2. Lazarus Rising

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Dean wakes up in a pine box, freed from Hell. He has a joyful reunion with Sam but they wonder what pulled Dean from Hell -- and why.
> 
> Chapter Warning(s): Typical Supernatural violence, Mild Language, Self-loathing(i guess)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be in 3rd person cause it makes sense. I hope you enjoy! Feedback is welcome. Italics without quotations are summaries. The episodes will get more immersive as we go along but for now, the first episode will be like the show except for a few subtle changes, like I will be skipping Sam exorcising with his mind cause it doesn't add to the story. It still happened but I just didn't write it.

_"Dean Winchester is saved!" Ariel and Castiel cried in unison, their voices booming throughout heaven._

A gasp of air shattered the silence. The darkness surrounding him as he opened his eyes. Immediately, panic enveloped his senses, causing him to push against the pine box. He groaned, completely forgetful of where he was.

Dean reached into his pocket, rummaging for his trusty lighter, desperate to get out of the box as soon as possible. He flicked the flint wheel, igniting the flint. The glow from his lighter emitted a soft eerie radiance in the darkness.

Dean vocalized as best as he could, his voice extremely hoarse. "Help!" Dean hacked, inhaling as much air as possible. "Help! Help!" Dean labored and cleared his throat as he tried again. "Help!" Dean hammered on the wood, dirt falling into his face. He closed his eyes, spitting out the dirt before he started pounding again but everything was cut short when dirt came caving in.

Dean began boring, dragging, elbowing the dirt out of the way. He inhaled oxygen when he could. He could practically taste the heat of the sun in the soil above. He clawed his way out of the earth, a single hand penetrating the surface accompanied by another. Dean dragged himself out of the hole, groaning and gulping for air as soon as he dragged himself out. The man rolled over onto his back, wheezing as he just literally crawled his way out of hell.

It took him a moment to regain his balance before standing up. Dean looked around at the perfect circle of inert trees. 

' _Something bad happened here'_ He reflected as he began making his way down the road.

As he stumbled down the road, he could make out a Gas station in the distance. He quickened his walking pace, nearly falling into the door. He jiggled the doorknob. _"Locked."_ Dean removed his overshirt, balling it up on his fist before smashing the glass and unlocking the gas station door. He frantically searched for water, finding a bottle and opening it, chugging.

As he inhaled the water he noticed the nearby newspaper, it read, **Thursday, September 18th.**

Dean vocalized audibly, "September..." there was a tinge of confusion in his voice. Had it only been for months since he died? Deep in thought, Dean sat the newspaper down and hobbled over to the bathroom in hopes of getting some of this filth off of him.

He planted both of his hands on the sides of the sink, watching his reflection as he twisted the nozzles on the sink. He plunged his dirty, calloused hands under the warm water, cleaning them as best as he could before hunching over and scrubbing his face. Once he finished, he returned to the same position with both hands on the sides of the sink, he stared deeply at his image.

Dean gripped the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, revealing a perfectly unblemished, unscarred abdomen. _'Hm...I should be in pieces'_ He thought before letting his shirt fall back down. He shifted to leave but something snagged his attention. He pulled up his left sleeve, unveiling a giant, raw handprint brand. He lifted his right sleeve just to be curious, finding a small raw handprint brand.

Two different people. No, _things_.

Dean gathered the essentials he needed, food, water, and skin mags and shoved them into a plastic bag. He moseyed on over to the cash register with a puzzled look on his face before he pressed a single button. _Ding!_ The cash drawer opened and he snapped his fingers in satisfaction.

As he began looting the money, the TV on his left flickered on, displaying nothing but static and white noise. He hastily shut it off, growing suspicious. The radio on his right switched on, more white noise.

Dean immediately seized the salt, lining the windowsill with it before a high-pitched noise tore through the gas station. He grabbed his left ear in pain, still pouring salt. The ringing grew louder causing him to double over in agony, head in his hands.

The window above his head shattered as the sound increased in volume. He groaned, struggling to get to his feet only to have the window ceiling and walls shatter. Once it died down, Dean grabbed the plastic bag and rushed outside to the phone booth.

_After reuniting with Bobby and Sam, Bobby decided it was best to see a professional psychic about his resurrection problem. The four of them gathered in Pamela's seance room, watching her gather her things and conduct the seance._

Pamela, Bobby, Sam, and Dean sat around the small round table, which was littered in witch-like paraphernalia and six lit candles in the center.

"Alright, Take each other's hands," Pamela stated, watching as all the boys listened. "And I need to touch something our mystery monsters touched." Pamela hummed and wiggled her fingers as she flirted, sneakily sliding her palm along Dean's inner thigh.

"Whoa. Well, they didn't touch me there." He grinned nervously, shifting in his seat as he looked at his brother and Bobby. He cleared his throat before pulling up the left and right sleeve of his shirt, revealing the brands.

Sam stared at the handprints in awe as well as fear, what could be so powerful that they could pull his brother out of the depths of hell? Sam peered at Bobby to make sure he wasn't the only one seeing the two, bulging handprints.

Pamela, being seated on the right, placed her palm on the small right brand, "Okay," She cleared her throat to signify she was beginning. The took the hint and closed their eyes. Pamela began.

"I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle.

I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle.

I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle."

Pamela chanted, the television in the background flicking on to static. She continued, "I invoke, conjure, and command... Ariel, Castiel?? No. Sorry, Ariel & Castiel, I don't scare easy." Pamela shook her head as she spoke unknowingly to an Archangel.

Dean opened his eyes wide, glancing over at the psychic. "Ariel?" It seemed to be the only name that caught Dean's attention. Dean scoffed, looking at his brother, "I was saved by a Disney princess." He said snarkily.

"Their names." Pamela breathed, "It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back." She gripped his shoulder tight before she began chanting again. The white noise and static grew louder as the table began shaking.

"I conjure and command you, show me your face.

I conjure and command you, show me your face.

I conjure and command you, show me your face.

I conjure and command you, show me your face!"

Pamela breathed as the voices in her head grew louder, the white noise and rattling becoming more violent. Bobby talked up over the noise, fear laced in his words. "Maybe we should stop!"

"No!" Pamela shouted, "I almost got it. I command you," She paused making sure to put bass in her voice as she spoke, "Show me your face! Show me your face now!" Immediately after she shouted those words, the candles flared up several feet high followed by Pamela screaming. Her eyes flew open as she screamed, filled with a white-hot flame.

All of the noise and fire die out.

The psychic wobbled as she lost her footing and fell to the floor. Bobby got up out of his chair, kneeling beside Pamela. He wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into his lap. He held her up as she cried.

"Call 911!" The old hunter shouted at the boys.

Sam rushed into the next room, looking around for the house phone. He ran for it, dialing 911. The world around him grew still, the voice of the operator filling his ears but her words sound like they were underwater. He just quickly said the address into the phone and requested an ambulance.

Dean sat in his chair for a bit, unsure of what to do. He gulped, now even more terrified of what had brought him back to life. It just burned the poor woman's eyes out. He got up from his chair and crouched over Pamela. "Pamela?" He asked.

Her eyelids flew open revealing deep, dark, burned, empty sockets. She sobbed as the blood ran down her cheeks. "I can't see! I cant see! Oh, God!" She sobbed. Bobby just clutched her tightly, supporting her body with his.

Dean closed his menu, giving it to the waitress. "Be up in a jiff." The waitress responded, taking the menu and trotting over to the kitchen. Dean let out a sigh, concern etched on his face. He looked to his brother who had just entered the diner.

"You bet," Sam mumbled into the phone before hanging up and taking a seat. He huffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

"What'd Bobby say?" Dean asked.

"Pam's stable and out of the I.C.U" Sam returned.

"And _blind_ , 'cause of us," Dean added with raised brows.

"And we still have no clue what we're dealing with-" Sam slightly shook his head and pursed his lips as he spoke.

"That's not entirely true," Dean replied directly.

"No?" Sam questioned with raised brows, giving Dean a look of confusion and doubt.

"We got names. The mermaid and uh...Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo, we could summon these things and bring 'em right to us." Dean shared.

Sam shook his head, "You're crazy. Absolutely not."

"We'll work 'em _over_. I mean, after what _they_ did?" Dean snapped, gesturing behind him.

"Pam took a peek at _them_ and her eyes burned out of her _skull_ , and you want to have a face to face?" Sam countered.

"You got a better idea?" Dean argued, squinting his eyes.

"Yeah, As a matter of fact. I do. I followed some demons to town, right?" Sam queried.

Dean huffed, "Okay?"

" _So..._ We go find them." Sam shook his head. "Someone's got to know something about something."

Before the conversation could continue, the waitress walked over to the table with two slices of pie. She placed one plate in front of Dean. Sam pressed out a thank you as he took the plate from her hands and sat it down on the table.

Dean hummed excitedly and picked up his fork but before he could dive in. He noticed the waitress didn't walk away.

The waitress fixed her apron before lightly sitting down in a chair adjacent to the two. She glanced side to side at the both of them a mischievous grin plastered on her face.

Dean sat his fork down and gazed up at the young woman, a flirtatious smirk dancing across his face. "You angling for a tip?" He flirted.

"I'm sorry," She chuckled. "I thought you were looking for us." A dark onyx took over her sclera, revealing to the two that she was a demon.

As she did so, the uniformed man sitting at the counter turned on his stool and the cook from the kitchen looked up, their eyes black as well.

Dean and Sam's smile soon turned to a frown as they realized they were essentially ambushed.

The uniformed demon stood from his seat and walked over to the entrance, locking it. He turned back to face the boys whilst he swayed side to side, almost tempting them.

The waitress's eyes returned to their dark color. "Dean..." She spoke. "To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck?"

Dean being himself, motioned to himself as he spoke, "That's me."

"So you just get to stroll out of the pit, huh? What makes you so special?" She challenged, her voice laced with envy.

Dean chortled, "I like to think it's 'cause of my perky nipples." he finished with a smug smile before his expression changed. "I don't know." He said gruffly. "It wasn't my doing. I don't know who pulled me out." He continued.

"Right...You don't" She responded in disbelief with narrowed, accusatory eyes.

"No. I don't." Dean snapped.

"Lying's a sin y' know." She countered.

Dean raised his brows at her speculation, "I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind _enlightening_ me, Flo..." Dean sneered.

"Mind your tone with me, Boy." She emphasized boy, her words filled with hate. "I'll drag you back to hell myself." She appended.

Sam made a move to defend his brother, his chair scraping against the tiles but Dean put his hand up, him to back down. The demon looked over to Sam, then Dean with a wicked smirk.

"No, you won't," Dean claimed.

"No?"

"No. 'Cause if you were, you'd have done it already." Dean leaned forward in his chair, speaking in a ridiculing tone. "Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh...Godzilla" He joked. "Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they _want_ me out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send me back. But don't come crawling to me when they show up with some Vaseline and a fire hose." Dean finished.

"I'm gonna reach down your throat and rip out your lungs." She stated calmly.

Dean leaned forward in his chair, daring the demon to do what she said she would do. He cocked back his fist and threw a right hook at her, which she takes. He cocked back his fist again, jabbing her straight in the face.

She sat still, glaring at the two as a sense of nervousness overwhelming her.

"That's what I thought. Let's go, Sam." Dean mumbled, but before he went to leave, his eyes never left the waitress. He slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten-dollar bill and tossing it on the table.

"For the pie." He smirked and then quickly dashed out of the diner after Sam.

Dean shuffled, quickly making his way away from the diner as he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Holy crap, that was close.", he huffed.

Sam looked over his shoulder at his brother, "We're not just gonna leave them in there are we?"

"Well, yeah." Dean gestured behind him, "There's three of them, probably more." He then motioned to him and Sam, "We only got one knife between us."

"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately," Sam asserted quickly, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Not anymore-the smarter brother's back in town." Dean quipped.

"Dean, We've gotta take 'em. They're dangerous-" Sam argued before being cut off.

"They're scared. Okay?" Dean snapped. "Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time." Dean reached the driver's side of the impala, fishing for his keys in his pocket and unlocking the car. He opened the car door but before he got in he turned to Sam, his elbows resting on the dust-covered roof of the impala.

"Okay, Sam?" He questioned, waiting for his brother to agree with him so they could get going.

"Okay," Sam growled, clenching his jaw tightly.

Both of them got into the impala and made their way back to the motel.

Dean slept soundlessly on the couch, his hands lightly gripping a lore book as he snoozed away in dreamland.

Sam sneakily opened the room door, peeping over his shoulder warily. He took a few careful steps forward before turning around to make sure Dean didn't wake. He slowly closed the door behind him. Sam rushed down the steps and made his way to the impala, sliding the key into the ignition and starting the car. He had a look of determination on his face as he backed out of the parking spot and drove away.

Meanwhile, in the motel room, the television and radio switched on, paired with a high pitched ringing.

Dean blinked hard, slowly being pulled out of his slumber as the ringing noise crescendoed. The familiar sound immediately pulled him out of his grogginess, causing him to rub his eyes and look around in caution.

Being the hunter he is, he rolled over to the left side of the L couch and grabbed the rock-salt shotgun, cocking and aiming it. Dean's eyes darted around looking to the bed next to him only to find it empty. _No Sam._ Dean slowly made his way to the room door, fear and fight in his eyes.

The ringing increased in volume, causing the 30-year-old to clutch his left ear in pain. He groaned, looking around in confusion as the sound just kept getting louder. He heard a crack and looked up above to see that the ceiling mirror had cracked but what could he have done about it? Dean cried out in agony, wondering when the sound would end. He raised his shotgun, only to drop it on the floor and used the now free hand to cover his right ear.

He clenched his eyes shut, kneeling on the floor. The ringing intensified, eventually breaking all the windows and soon enough the ceiling mirror. Dean caught a glimpse of his reflection before the giant shards of glass came raining down on him. He cried out, glass coming at him from all angles. Black spots filled his vision, allowing him to only see so much.

Before he reached the verge of passing out, Bobby burst into the room as more mirrors shattered.

"Dean!" The elder shouted, running and clutching Dean's side and dragging him out of the room. That was essentially the last thing Dean remembered.

The sound of the car engine awoke Dean from his hazed state. He blinked hard, watching as the world around him became less blurry. He groaned and looked over at Bobby with a questionable expression as he wiped the blood from his hands and ears with a rag Bobby kindly provided.

"How you doin', kid?" Bobby asked, occasionally glancing over at Dean as he drove.

"Aside from church bells ringing in my head, peachy." He grumbled as he wiped the last of the blood and rummaged through his pocket for his cellphone and pulled it out. He searched through the contacts and dialed Sam.

Sam's voice picked up. "Hey."

"What are you doing?" Dean pondered.

"Couldn't sleep, went to get a burger." Sam lied, sitting in the driver's seat of the impala, staking out the diner full of demons.

"In my car?" Dean suspected.

"Force of habit, sorry. What are you doing up?" Sam wanted to change the subject quickly. He didn't want to deal with Dean's interrogation.

"Well, uh Bobby's back." Dean looked at Bobby as he spoke, "We're goin' to grab a beer." He added. He then held up a finger to Bobby who just looked puzzled.

"All right, well, uh, spill some for me, huh?" Sam asked.

"Done. I'll catch you later." Dean closed the flip-phone, ending the call.

"Why the hell didn't you tell him?" Bobby snapped.

"'Cause he just tried to stop us," Dean responded, holding the phone in his hand with wide eyes as if he was thinking hard about what had just happened.

"From what?"

"Summoning this thing," Dean answered, turning his head to face Bobby. "It's time we face it head-on." He continued.

"You can't be serious."

"As a heart attack." Dean joked, a smile dancing across his lips. "It's high noon, baby."

"Well, we don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything." Bobby said with worry but that didn't deter Dean.

"That's why we've got to be ready for anything," Dean returned as he reached toward the back of his Jeans and pulled out the demon-killing knife. "We've got the big-time magic knife, you've got an arsenal in the trunk..."Dean pointed to the back of the car with his thumb.

"This is a bad idea..."

"I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?" The young hunter inquired.

"We could choose life." Bobby quipped while deriding.

"Bobby, Whatever _this_ is, whatever _it_ wants, it's after me. That much we know, right?" He said certainly. "I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again, or we can make our stand." Dean finalized.

"Dean, we could use Sam for this." Bobby pleaded.

"Nah...He's better off where he is." Dean mumbled, turning to look out the window.

The warehouse seemed like an abandoned greenhouse, the oxidized shutters on the roof were closed and the walls had creepers growing in all the fissures. Insides, the ceiling, walls, and floor were covered in every possible trap know to mankind.

Bobby let out a hard exhale as he finished painting the last symbol on the cement floor. He flung the spray can over to Dean, who caught it with ease.

"That's a hell of an art project you've got going there," Dean commented as he finished setting up the last of the equipment. The young hunter perched against the table, folding his arms across his chest as he watched his surrogate father walk over to him.

Bobby let out another sigh, "Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doin'?" The older gentleman fixed his gaze upon the 30-year-old as he spoke, "Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife..." Dean cleared his throat as he spoke a little louder this time, "I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of."

Bobby replied, "This is still a bad idea."

"Yeah uh huh, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times. What do you say we ring the dinner bell?"

Bobby nodded reluctantly as he pinched some powder from a bowl and sprinkled it into a larger bowl. Both watched the smoke come up out of the bowl as Bobby began reciting the Latin.

"Castiel, these vessels are..." Ariel looked down at her shoulders, then at her wings.

Their fight in hell had taken a toll on her self-image, the white of her wings were scorched with hell-fire. The tips of her feathers were now a deep, dark black that faded into a pearl white and then a blood-red at the marginal coverts and scapulars... Castiel's once bright wings were both now scorched and black. He didn't mind though, he seemed unphased by the change.

She ruffled the feathers as she continued after the long pause, "Constricting." She peered over to her side as she watched Castiel gaze at the wall with intense focus. He appeared to be evading eye contact. Did her vessel make him uncomfortable? She glanced down at her nude figure, taking in all of the curves of her new body.

Castiel cleared his throat before making eye contact with his older sister, "Ariel, We must hurry. Humans don't like waiting." He notified the red-head. He peeped at her vessel's body, inhaling sharply as he saw her slip-on lacey white thongs and then a silky, baby pink gown.

"I am hurrying, Castiel. No need to rush me. I like to look good during my time on earth, unlike others..." She jeered, giving him a slight nudge with her elbow as she strutted past him into the bathroom.

Ariel grabbed the hairbrush and moved it through her copper, wavy tresses, styling it in a 40s wave and side part style. She flashed herself a soft smile and then turned to her companion.

"Castiel, It's time." She set the brush down as she spoke and fluttered her wings as best she could to get the feathers all sorted out. It didn't exactly matter if her wings were presentable, humans could not see them with the naked eye, but other angels would and she felt as snd archangel...she had to look her best.

_Meanwhile, Dean and Bobby sat for almost a half-hour waiting for the mysterious Ariel and Castiel to show._

Dean let out a hefty sigh, swinging his legs like a child. "Bobby, you sure you did the ritual right?" He glanced up at the hunter, only getting a bitch-face in return. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?" Dean chuckled but it soon subsided after the shutters on the roof began rattling and swinging open.

Dean leaped from the table, shaken, he lurched for a shotgun and Bobby did the same. Dean yelled over the noise, "Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind." Dean quipped, clasping the barrel of his shotgun.

The doors of the warehouse were flung off its hinges. Two shadow figures stood in the distance as rain and thunder began to pick up outside. Dean could make out that one was a man, the other, a woman. As the two had advanced forward, the light bulbs above their heads began exploding one by one, intimidating the two hunters.

Dean pumped his sawed-off, directing it at the man. He wasn't sexist but he felt like the woman in the pink dress wasn't a threat. He shot Castiel twice but it did nothing to slow him down.

Castiel smirked at the human's feeble attempts at defense. They had no idea who they were dealing with and he figured it would be hard to convince a faithless man like Dean to believe in something like him and his sister.

Dean kept his eyes on the woman, her ginger locks swaying in the thunderous wind. Her dress was soft silk, pink, strapless and off the shoulder. The sleeves were long and formed a bell shape a the hems. It resembled something a 21st-century princess would've worn. It was nice.

Dean reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, white-knuckling the demon-killing knife as he followed Ariel and Castiel with his eyes. Dean took a step back as Castiel moved to his side, overlooking Bobby completely.

Ariel stood 5 feet from Dean, her icy blue eyes settled on his gorgeous emerald gems. She didn't appear that very tall, maybe about 5 foot 3 inches. She was small but still, Dean was cautious of what she could be.

"Who are you?" The righteous man demanded as he slowly paced around the two, in an effort to at least have an advantage.

The man in the trench coat spoke first, "We are the ones who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition." Castiel motioned to him and Ariel.

"Uh-huh, Yeah thanks for that." Dean quipped as he lunged at Ariel, closing the distance between them. He grabbed her left shoulder as he plunged the demon-knife into her heart.

Ariel looked down, slight concern seeped through her emotionless facade. she pulled the knife out of her breast and dropped it to the floor.

As this went on, Bobby went to swipe at Castiel with a sword and without even looking at him, he seized the weapon and used it to swing Bobby around to his front. The soldier placed two fingers on his forehead and watched the surly hunter crumpled to the ground.

Ariel spoke, a softness in her voice, "We need to talk, Dean. _Alone_."

Dean stared at two with wide eyes. He yielded at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. He locked his eyes on hers, furrowing his brows. What were they? He looked to Bobby who lied on the ground. Was he dead? No, he couldn't be, nothing happened.

Dean squatted beside Bobby, intuitively checking his pulse which appeared fine. He glared at Castiel, jaw clenched tight.

Castiel wandered over to the books that were on the table, flipping through the pages as Ariel treated her knife wound, a pinkish glow pouring out of her hand as it hovered over the top of her left breast.

Castiel looked up at the wall, slightly annoyed. "Your friend's alive." He grumbled. He looked back at his sister, watching as she healed herself. Ariel looked up immediately catching Castiel's gaze. They stayed that way for the remainder of the minute.

He watched as the two conversed silently like they had a telepathic link. "Who are you?" Dean questioned again.

"Castiel," The rough Angel responded but was rudely interrupted,

"Yeah, I figured that much I mean _what_ are you?" Dean motioned to Ariel who had now finished healing herself.

He rose to his feet, reclining against the table but not completely letting down his guard. He occasionally peeped at the Ariel.

Ariel lifted a brow at the hunter. Why did he keep looking at her? What did he want? Ariel parted her lips to speak but decided not to.

Castiel looked up from the book to study Dean. "I am an Angel of the Lord."

"And her?" Dean signed to Ariel. "Is she an Angel also?" He interrogated, waving his hand in a circular motion, signaling that he wanted more than a few words.

"I am the Archangel Ariel." _She_ finally spoke up. She offered the human a friendly smile.

There wasn't much light that could make out her features but the light that there, bounced off of her ivory skin, casting a soft cerulean glow.

"Yeah and I am the Easter Bunny, Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing." Dean sneered, picking up the demon knife and wiping the blood off on his jacket sleeve.

"That is your problem, _Dean Winchester_." Ariel took a step toward Dean, frustration in her voice. "You have no faith." She continued as the lightning outside struck the roof. A soft red glow emitted from her vessel, a bright pink light, emitting over the graffiti-covered walls.

Dean's eyes darted around at the display in front of him, his mouth agape as he saw the silhouette of two very large wings projected onto the wall. The wingspan almost reached the back wall. As suddenly as the light appeared, it dissolved, leaving Ariel standing in her gown.

Dean closed his mouth, doubt still on his mind. Dean adjusted his jacket before he spoke bitterly, "Some Angels you are, You burned out that poor woman's eyes."

Castiel stayed on the side, meddling with some of the things on the table. He figured it was best to let Ariel carry the rest of the conversation, she seemed to have grown restless.

"Castiel warned her not to spy on our true forms, I'm surprised she is alive after getting a peek of me. It can be uh... overwhelming to humans, and so can our real voices. But you already knew that."

The archangel's voice held a sultry tone that was filled with disappointment, hoping Dean was as smart as they said.

Ariel inched closer to the faithless man, the sole of her flats dragging against the ground.

Dean shifted onto the other foot, rolling his head as he recalled the Gas station and motel incident.

"So at the gas station and the motel... that was you talking?" Ariel nodded. "Sweetheart, next time, lower the volume." He laughed half-heartedly, "Not that I mind a woman being as loud as she can, but I nearly went deaf." He appended.

Ariel was taken aback by his flirtation. It wasn't unusual for humans to flirt but she didn't expect anyone to flirt with her. She furrowed her brows as she thought of a better reply, "That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive our true visage."

She chuckled lightly as she brought her hands to her front, interlacing her fingers.

"I thought you would be one of them, Dean. I was wrong."

For a moment Castiel looked up at his sibling, watching her interact with Dean. He watched her body language as she spoke the last line and for a small moment he could hear hope in her voice. Hope for what? He didn't know but it was obvious she had hope. Promptly after that, he went back to fiddling with the books on the table.

"And uh... what visage are you in now, huh? What, a victoria secret model?" Dean continued to flirt.

"This? This is...a vessel." Ariel spoke slowly, inching closer to Dean. Now only 3 feet from Dean.

"You're possessing some poor girl?" He asked in a bothered tone, almost as if he was accusing her of forcing the woman to be her vessel.

"She's a devout woman, she actually prayed for this, Winchester." The redhaired gentlewoman corrected, holding out her arms and turning in a complete circle.

Dean swallowed slowly before subconsciously licking his semi-chapped lips.

Dean shook his head in disbelief. "Well, Lady, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are y'all really?" He waved the hand with the knife in it, point the tip at both of the two.

"Dean...I told you" Ariel scowled, inching closer to the man, soon closing the three feet gap. A one-foot gap separated the two, tension thick in the air.

Of course, Castiel ignored the whole debacle, Ariel was a fearsome warrior, she didn't need to be looked after. Besides, Castiel was too enveloped in the Latin he was reading to even spare a passing glance at the two.

The green-eyed beauty mocked, meeting Ariel's glacier blue eyes. He furrowed his brows as he vocalized, doubt in his tone. "Right... And why would an Archangel rescue me from Hell?"

His question seemed genuine, almost like he believe he didn't deserve to be raised. Dean swiveled his head, looking at the back wall then at the shotgun on the table. Suddenly the shotgun seemed interesting to him.

"Good things do happen, Dean." Ariel's voice was melodious, it was the exact opposite of Castiel's who spoke roughly. It was like his voice went through a cheese grater and then he smoked a pack of cigarettes. But if Dean could describe her voice, ironically, he would describe it as heaven or a children's lullaby. When she spoke it spontaneously relaxed him, he wasn't sure if it was some spell but whatever it was, nothing good would come of it.

Dean shook his head and turned to face the gentlewoman, but keeping his eyes down. "Not in my experience." He mumbled, he clutched the table.

He didn't blink once, not since he turned to her. He just stared at the floor almost as if he was reliving a war flashback.

 _"PTSD,"_ Ariel thought. She placed her right hand on the table and stood now five inches from the man. She made sure to get in the line of his sight so he could snap out of his fugue state.

"What's the matter, Winchester? You don't think you deserve to be saved?" She said in a hushed whisper. She searched his eyes for hope, but sadly there was none.

"Why'd you do it?" He choked out.

Castiel felt like it was time to cut in. It was annoyed him how someone could be that faithless. He closed the book, a loud thud echoing and breaking the silence. Ariel stepped back from the individual, returning to her position next to her younger brother.

"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you." Castiel affirmed with determination in his voice.

Dean's eyes darted to Castiel, worry written all over his face.


	3. Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Sam and Dean are stunned when the spirits of Meg and Agent Henricksen appear. Ariel has flashbacks of Lucifer with the Mark and also pays the price for doing the right thing.
> 
> Chapter Warning(s): Typical Supernatural violence, Mild Language, Dark thoughts, Self-loathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sam's storyline in season 4 isn't really interesting to me. I hate it but I will include some parts, I promise.

The wind whisked past Ariel's face, her red locks swaying along with the breeze. She wriggled her toes in the moist soil, taking a few steps toward the sun that settled on the horizon. Her sunkissed skin radiated beauty and vigor, the pink dress adding a touch of hierarchy and femininity. Poppies brushed against her ankles as the wind blew again. This was her heaven, a vast field of poppy flowers, no end in sight.

She inhaled a considerable amount of air before sighing softly. The archangel shut her eyes as she sensed the presence behind her, Castiel.

"Cassie." She teased whilst pivoting on her heel to face the combatant. She frowned once she realized that he wore a pained expression.

"If you are worried about the Rising of the Witnesses...I have faith Dean Winchester will put an end to it." She stated matter of factly as she walked past him.

"I wasn't sure if you knew, you've been told to keep an eye on the Winchesters. I know, after our learning about Lilith's _activities_ , you seemed uncomfortable." He stated as he closed his eyes, remembering the last time the Cage was mentioned.

"If this has anything to do with _that_ , Castiel, my answer will never change. I am fine. Now stop asking me. It happened eons ago, it doesn't trouble me..." She hesitated, looking off into the distance. " _not anymore."_ Ariel said in a hushed whisper.

If she had to be honest, the whole situation had been stressful for her. She was too close to this, being Lucifer's closest sibling besides Michael wasn't enough. NO, father had to go and 'experiment with kindred spirits' He said. Ariel didn't hate Lucifer, well before he went evil. He was enjoyable, eccentric and cared a great deal about affection, but that was before the mark had corrupted him completely.

_Lucifer and Ariel sat in the observation room, gazing at the stars and black holes. It was quiet, still, and only the two of them as the others were off elsewhere helping Father. By then, Lucifer already donned the mark but he meant no harm, right? The nefarious actions started small._

_"What do you think of me?" The male asked, his fingers grazing over her dainty ones._

_Ariel's eyes darted from the supernova forming to her older brother. What kind of question was that? Is he feeling self-conscious or is he just curious? When she thought of Lucifer, she thought of the good in him as well as his handsomeness. She thought of his warm fingers and pink wings which only reminded her of her own. She felt close to him. Like he was,_

_"Home." She hummed whilst enveloping his fingers in her own. The naive Angel flashed him a soft smile before returning her eyes to the spectacle in front of her. Little did she know, Lucifer had different thoughts. The mark screaming in his head, coercing him to commit horrible acts._

_Once she gripped his fingers, he knew he couldn't control much of himself anymore._

_He merely desired to take his arch blade and force it through her skull, to feel the warmth and wetness of the blood trickly down his fingers. He needed to wind her soft, red hair around his fist and corrupt her. He craved so much more and the thoughts echoed in his mind, crescendoing the longer they held hands._

_He yanked his hand away like he was burned._

_"Don't," He uttered, pain in his heart once he realized he could have just killed her without a second thought if a second longer had passed. He drew his knees to his chest and rubbed his thumb over the mark. He hated his father, how could he give him suck a mark. This horrible mark, slowly corrupting him, changing him._

_"Is it bothering you? I could bear the mark if the task is too much." Ariel could sense the mark corrupting him but that didn't keep her away. Lucifer understood why she couldn't keep away which only made him want to butcher her more if he only could just bring himself to do it._

_Ariel tried her best to help Lucifer fight the mark but soon, her hope would die out, driving the two apart._

Castiel noticed her pause as if her mind was off in another world. After Lucifer's fall, her remaining brothers grew cold, distant and the only angel Ariel genuinely liked was, Castiel. He was _'wired differently'_ or at least that's what most angels said about him. He came off the factory belt wrong, maybe it was on purpose but Ariel didn't care, they said the same about her.

 _'Damnit'_ Castiel thought. The disgruntled angel made his way over to his older sister,

"Ariel, we have work to do." He couldn't show compassion or understand it but he knew something was wrong. He placed a hand on her shoulder, watching her flinch. The celestial being gazed into her eyes, seeing no light or hope. She was lost.

"The seals, Rising of the Witnesses." He continued, hoping to coax her out of her fugue state. "It will be all right." Castiel demanded her attention, gripping her shoulder tight.

That phrase, she disliked what it did to her. It forced her to relax. The same phrase Michael prayed to her before casting the _only_ person that cared about her, out of heaven.

"Yes, let's go." She murmured and with a strong flap of their wings they were in Bobby's kitchen, the humans unaware. They arrived just as the three were talking about them.

Sam ridiculed his brother, "Well, then tell me what else it could have been." He brought his hands to his head, massaging the bridge of his nose.

Dean paced the kitchen slowly, a hand on his hip as he responded. "Look, all I know is I was not groped by angels. Which, one is named after a Disney princess. I mean she even has the red hair."

"Okay, look, Dean." Sam retorted, "Why do you think this Ariel would lie to you about it?"

Dean held out his hands in defiance, "Maybe she's some kind of demon. Like uh... Like Lilith. Demons lie." He turned away from his brother, curling and uncurling his fingers.

"Demons who are immune to salt rounds and devil's traps...And Ruby's knife?" The more Sam talked the higher his pitch went. Sam motioned with his hands, "Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!"

Dean shifted to face his brother, annoyance written all over his face as he rested against the kitchen counter. "Don't you think that if angels _were_ real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one...at some point... _ever?_ "

Sam licked his lips and scoffed, "Yeah," He nodded. "You just did, Dean."

"I'm trying to come up with a _theory_ here. Okay? Work with me." Dean argued as he gestured to himself.

"Dean, we have a theory." Sam huffed.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust and Disney magic on it, please." Dean countered, pushing himself up off the counter and inching closer to Sam.

"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure. I'm just saying that I think we-" Dean instantly cut Sam off.

"Okay, Okay. That's the point. We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this _thing_ is a freaking _Angel_ of the Lord because _it_ says so!" Dean boomed.

Bobby interrupted their passionate debate, "You two chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?"

Dean peeped at Sam, letting out a small breath before rolling his eyes subtly and walking over to Bobby's desk, Sam followed reluctantly.

"I got stacks of lore-- Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit." Bobby informed as he pointed to the picture of the angel holding a human and bringing it from the darkness into the light.

Dean subtly laid a hand on his right shoulder over the small handprint. "What else?" He asked, still in denial.

"What else, what?"

"What else could do it?" Dean articulated.

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box? As far as I can tell, _nothing._ " Bobby elucidated.

Sam beamed, "Dean, this is good news."

"How?"

"Because for _once_ , this isn't just another round of demon crap." Sam took a breath, "I mean, maybe you were saved by one of the good guys, you know?"

"Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels. Then what? There's a _God_?" Dean derided.

"At this point, Vegas money's on _yeah._ " Bobby joined.

"I don't know, guys," Dean said and waved his hand dismissively when he turned to step away. He let out a low sigh and scratched his head. He wanted to believe, he did, but something didn't feel right.

"Okay, look. I know you're not all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about _faith_ and more and more about _proof_." Sam presented.

"Proof?" Dean asked, pivoting and wandering back to the desk.

"Yes." Sam asserted.

"Proof that there's a _God_ out there that actually gives a crap about _me_ _personally_?" Dean snapped, "I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."

"Why not?"

Dean looked to Bobby, a distant look in his eyes before he answered, "Because why _me_?" He delayed, "If there is a God out there, why would _he_ give a crap about _me_?!"

"Dean-" Sam started.

"I mean, I've _saved_ some people, okay? I figured that made up for the- for the stealing and the- the ditching chicks. But do _I_ deserve to get saved? I'm just a _regular_ guy." Dean fought.

"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs." Sam clarified.

There was a slight pause as the three hunters stared at each other, waiting for anyone to say something. Dean looked to Bobby, then Sam with a sheepish look on his face.

"Well, that creeps me out. I- I mean I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by... _God_."

Sam folded his arms over his chest and shifted his weight, "Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to _strap_ on your party hat." Sam simplified with a single nod.

Dean brought his hand to his mouth and then sighed. He inspected Bobby who gave him the bitch-face as if the solution was obvious. Dean averted his gaze, his nerves going off the rails but he kept it hidden. The 30-year-old cleared his throat,

"All right. What do we know about angels?" He gave in.

Sam slowly turned his head to Bobby because he had no clue what angels were like.

Bobby stretched his arms, lifting the five books he had sitting on his desk and presenting them to Dean.

"Start reading." Bobby half-joked.

Dean stared at the pile of books with a dumbfounded expression. He twisted and pointed at Sam, "You're gonna get me some pie." He snatched the first book from the pile and went into the kitchen and begrudgingly sat at the desk stacked with lore books.

Ariel rested on the desk with her legs crossed at the ankles, the lore books phasing through her lower half as Dean placed them down. She curiously watched Dean as he sat in the chair, obviously shaken up. He gripped the sides of the chair, scooting it forward and closer to the desk. The crabby hunter dropped the book down on the desk and perched his elbows to help hold up his head.

 _'Why me?'_ He thought, raking his fingers through his sandy brown hair. He dragged his hands down his face, pulling at his cheeks. Dean let out a long and heavy sigh before picking up the angel lore book and starting from page one.

"He is so troubled." Ariel cooed.

"He _has_ been through a lot," Castiel replied from the other side of the room, gazing intently at all the papers on the wall in Bobby's office.

Observing humans wasn't always his favorite but it was he needed to make sure his sister would be fine.

Ariel chose not to respond and instead just observed Dean's mannerisms. She lingered for a while, uncrossing her legs whilst she leaned back and rested her hands on the desk. In her seated position, she rotated her head trying to relieve pressure. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, her neck exposed.

Castiel broke their silence by clearing his throat, "What do you think of Dean Winchester?" He inquired, walking over to the next paper.

Ariel leaped from the table, "The poster boy for humanity." She peeped at Dean when she spoke. "He's in constant pain." She continued with a sad look in her eyes.

"I see." He replied, mouth still agape as if he had more to say but he just buried his hands deep into his trenchcoat pockets.

The sound of Bobby talking on the phone was drowned out like there was a wall of water between them. Ariel could make out what was being said, she already knew what had happened. She and Castiel watched as Bobby and Dean exit the house and walk toward the garage, gathering supplies and packing it in Bobby's car.

Ariel hummed softly as she studied a page that was left open on Dean's desk. On it resided a painted representation of the Garden. Her humming stopped abruptly. She gazed at the illustration, panic filling her eyes.

_"Luci, please stop...Not in the Garden!" Ariel whimpered. She brought her hands up to protect herself from her corrupted brother._

_"They are nothing, Ariel! Why do you care so much for them?! Don't you care about how I feel?! I care about you, Father only cares about what you can do for him." Lucifer bellowed, snatching her wrists in his hands. He yanked her into the foliage and then slammed her body face front, against a tree._

_She yelped as her head banged against the tree with full force. She shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head as blood trickled down her forehead and in between her furrowed brows._

_"You won't join me. You weren't made to obey. You were born to rebel. Why can't you understand you won't be happy here, with them. Rebel with me, We can watch the stars together, for eternity." He growled, tightening his hold on her wrist with most of his strength. The corrupted Lucifer, using his weight and strength to keep her sandwiched between him and the tree. Of course, Ariel was very powerful but wasn't enough to overpower a mark baring Lucifer._

_"Please, Lucifer...this isn't you." The angel murmured, her body quivering with dread as her wings were at an uncomfortable angle and she was now being harassed by her once beloved brother._

_Lucifer contemplated, he already was halfway there, the rest would be easy. All he needed to do was draw his arch blade and shove it into her skull. The twisted man drew his blade pressing only the tip against her nape. He dragged it across her skin struggling with himself and fighting the mark as best he could._

_"No..." He breathed, before letting her go. He disappeared with a flap of his wings._

_THUD!_ Ariel was pulled out of her episodic flashback. Her icy cerulean orbs met Castiel's ocean blues.

Castiel "I've been saying your name more than I should. I have been called to battle-"

"I'm staying, I'll be fine." Ariel said gently as she exited the house, following after Dean and Bobby.

The low rumble of the impala caught everyone's attention as it pulled into the driveway.

Ariel furrowed her brows as her eyes rested on Sam. Sam's aura, with what used to be a bright, white, hot glow was now dimmed, only slightly. _Not good._

Bobby approached the car window, leaning over. "Keep the engine running." He commanded.

"Why? What's going on?" Sam caught a glimpse of Dean packing something in Bobby's trunk.

"I got a friend one state over-- Olivia Lowry. I've been trying to reach her for three days on this angel thing. It's not like her to ignore this many calls." Bobby informed.

"Olivia Lowry -- a hunter, right?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah. We're gonna go check on her. You guys follow me." Bobby confirmed, tapping on the door as he turned to walk back to his car.

Dean came up the driver's side and opened the door, "Scoot over." He fussed and Sam did as told whilst handing the bag of food to his older brother. Dean settled into the car, shutting the door and snatching the bag. He rummaged through it, searching for the pie.

"Dude?"

"Yeah?" Sam answered.

Dean looked at Sam with a dumbfounded expression, "Wheres the pie?"

"Still at the store." She snickered to herself, appearing the back of the Impala. Ariel paid no mind to the angel and with a wave of her hand, she sent him back to where he needed to be.

By the time Sam and Dean finished checking on all the hunters in the area, the moon was hung high in the sky.

Ariel hummed _Hey Jude by The Beatles_ , feet resting on the backrest of the front seat while she reclined in the back. She teased the ends of her curls, twisting and twirling it on her index finger. The cosmic being sat up immediately once she heard the squeak of the front door and Dean's voice.

Dean came out of the house with his phone in hand and Sam right behind him.

"Yeah, we're at Jed's. It's not pretty. He looks even worse than Olivia. What about you?" Dean asked in a fatigued mood.

"I checked on Carl Bates and R.C. Adams. They've redecorated...in _red_." Bobby replied.

Dean turned and motioned to Sam that the other hunters were dead. "What the hell is going on here, Bobby? Why did a bunch of ghosts suddenly want to gank off-duty hunters?"

"I don't know, but until we find out, you guys better get your asses to my place." Bobby affirmed.

"We're on our way." Dean ended the call and climbed into the impala.

Sam started the car and pulled off.

The remainder of the car ride was silent, besides Ariel's singing that no one but her could hear.

_**And anytime you feel the pain** _

_**Hey Jude, refrain** _

_**Don't carry the world upon your shoulders** _

_**For well you know that it's a fool** _

_**Who plays it cool** _

_**By making his world a little colder** _

It wasn't her favorite song but she only sang it in great times of sadness. She could sense the self-pity radiating off of Dean's being. Of course, he couldn't hear her but that didn't stop her from comforting the human.

_**Hey Jude, don't let me down** _

_**You have found her, now go and get her** _

_**let it out and let it in...** _

_**Remember to let her into your heart** _

_**Then you can start to make it better** _

_**. . .** _

_**So let it out and let it in** _

_**Hey Jude, begin** _

_**You're waiting for someone to perform with** _

_**And don't you know that it's just you** _

_**Hey Jude, you'll do** _

_**The movement you need is on your shoulder** _

Ariel pulled herself up and beamed once she saw Dean fast asleep in the front seat. The woman gazed keenly at the human, observing his dreams. He dreamt often about his time in hell, as well as other things but his mind seemed to only be plagued with bad dreams.

With grace-charge fingers, she placed two on each temple and sent a charge of grace through him. Dean furrowed his eyebrows at the foreign feeling but eventually relaxed once his nightmare morphed into a dream.

_Dean stood in the doorway of the kitchen/dining room. He had a small smile carved on his face as he watched his mother waltz around the kitchen._

_He looked down at his attire and notice it wasn't his usual hunter gear. He wore a blue shirt paired with buffalo plaid pajama pants._

_"Dean, I made your favorite," Mary cooed. "Cherry pie." She continued as she slid on her oven mitts and pulled a lattice cherry pie out from the oven._

_"Pie!" He beamed, immediately taking as a seat at the table and grabbing a fork._

The dream went on for a while before Ariel decided to give him his privacy.

After thirty minutes of driving, Sam pulled into a service station and parked the car next to a gas pump. Ariel followed as he exited the car and went into the store to pay for gas. Once done, he went back to the car and began pumping gas in the car.

Sam leaned against the back of the car, tapping his fingers. As the gas poured into the tank, Sam decided to go to the bathroom before going back on the road.

"Tsk, demon-boy, where are you going?" Ariel asked herself, appearing in the bathroom Sam just stepped into. She kept her eyes on the wall as she heard the tall human handle his business and began cleaning his hands.

The temperature in the room plunged, allowing for Sam's and Ariel's breath to be seen. She covered her mouth and looked around the bathroom, waiting for the ghost to appear.

Ariel slowly stepped back from the spirit, not wanting to be involved in their drama.

The hazel-eyed hunter naturally glanced up to see the mirror crystalized, he wiped away the ice and nearly leaped out of his pants once he saw the spirit of Agent Henricksen. He slowly turned with panic written all over his face.

Henriksen spoke with a sly tone, "Hi, Sam." He paused, "It's been a while."

"Henriksen. Are you-- Did you..." Sam couldn't get the words out.

"I didn't survive...if that's what you're asking." The FED clarified with snark in his voice.

Sam's eyes darted between the door and Henriksen as he discoursed, "I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Henriksen returned.

Sam started, "Look, if we'd known Lilith was coming-"

"You wouldn't have left half a dozen innocent people in that police station to die in your place. " The agent claimed. "You did this to me. It was your fault. She was after you, and I paid the price. You left us there to die!" Henriksen bellowed as he grabbed Sam and hurled him into the lockers, then the divider of the stalls and finished with throwing him at the bathroom mirror.

Ariel furrowed her brows as she watched the spirit batter Sam. She understood she shouldn't meddle but something inside her screamed at her to protect him. Time marched on and Ariel needed to do something quickly.

"Samuel Winchester...do not fret."

Sam's eyes darted around, searching for the face to match the voice but there was no one. He then realized the voice was inside his head.

Henriksen repeatedly banged Sam's head into the sink, it nearly falling off its bolts. He kicked him to the ground and but before he could do anything else, Ariel appeared before the tall hunter, guarding Sam with her wings. Sam, of course, couldn't see them but that didn't take away from their purpose.

"How sweet, you have an angel watching over you." Henriksen sneered.

Sam clenched his jaw as he noticed two pink flats, connected to a woman, next to his head. He didn't have the strength to ask questions or move away so he just accepted her presence.

"Don't worry Samuel, I am Ariel." She beamed with confidence, rolling her shoulders back quickly, her pink grace-charged eyes switching on. The lights in the bathroom flickered as a nearly blinding light filled the room, a silhouette of her large wings projected around Sam. The light never dissipated.

Sam looked around him to see a shadow of two large wings, shielding him.

"Angel." He murmured to himself, shocked an angel would even come to his aid. The demon-blood boy, being saved by an Archangel of the freaking lord.

Ariel raised her hand and held it out, her palm facing the spirit. She clenched her fist, causing harm to the ghost.

"You leave, now." Ariel spewed, wrenching her fist tighter as she watched the vengeful being crumble to the floor. Henriksen glared at Sam as he groaned in pain.

"I'll be back, You know." The agent groaned before his body dispersed into nothing.

Dean rushed into the bathroom once he saw the lights flicker and a bright light flash. "Ariel..." Dean said breathlessly, holding the shotgun. He gazed at her for a long while, noticing how her wings were draped around his little brother. The light dissipated and he lowered the gun, hastily walking over to his little brother.

In these moments that's all Dean saw him as. Not as six-foot four-inch-tall man, but as little Sammy who played with army men and legos. His brows furrowed deeply once he saw the blood trickling down Sam's lips.

"C'mon we gotta get to Bobby." Dean stated as he helped him up.

Dean paused for a moment, his eyes lingering on hers. This was his silent Thank you.

"Dean, you said you helped those in need..." Ariel said in a troubled tone, "If I do not appear to you later tonight, promise me you will question my disappearance..." She choked out, her gaze lingered on Dean's for only a moment. Dean only nodded.

"Why would you disappear?" Sam questioned, staring at the apprehensive angel.

"Because... I defied orders." Ariel put it simply, but before she could continue, a deep voice filled her thoughts, taking her away from the scene before her. ' _Ariel, you do_ _not_ _listen_. _I, of all people know you have a soft spot for nature, humans..._ " The prayer trailed off before picking back up again, _'Return to heaven and face your consequences.'_

Ariel blinked slowly as the prayer ended, fixing her eyes on the boys just as they left the bathroom. She followed the young hunters back to the car.

Dean held out a hand to stop her from continuing further the car, "Woah, Woah. You're not coming with us? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you saved Sammy but I still don't trust you."

Ariel fixed her weary eyes on Dean's as he spoke those last words. She asked woefully, "Are those your last words to me, Dean Winchester?"

His heart panged at that question. What happened to angels who disobeyed? Dean just opened his car door, unsure of what to say to that. He sure as hell wasn't about to sit around and talk about his feelings.

Sam just stared at them in awe, not sure if he should defend the angel or side with his brother. She was the first angel to reveal herself to him, and she saved someone like _him._

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Ariel shut her eyes and with the flap of her wings, she left.

"Damn it, Bobby! Pick up!" Dean uttered while hanging up and redialing. He drove with one hand on the wheel and the other gripping his cellphone. Sam sat in the passenger seat as purple bruises slowly developed on his face.

"How you feeling, huh? How many fingers am I holding up?" Dean quipped as he looked out of the corner of his eye, evidently holding up none as he drove.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"None. I'll be fine, Dean." Sam replied.

"Henriksen?"

"Yep."

"Why? What did he want?" Dean asked with his eyes trained on the road and the phone to his ear.

"Revenge. 'Cause we got him killed." Sam stated blankly.

For a moment Dean took his eyes off the road to look at his brother.

"Sam."

"Well, We did, Dean." Sam countered.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"All right. Stop right there." Dean scolded as he closed the flip phone, ending the call to Bobby. "Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us _now_ , okay? I can't get ahold of Bobby, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all." He concluded irritably.

Sam sat silent for a moment just staring ahead at the passing signs.

"Why did you send Ariel away?" Sam queried, his eyes still straight ahead.

Dean said nothing. He had no words to say to that. No answers, no quips. He didn't mean to be a dick, it just happened.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Soon, night shifted to day as Baby zoomed down the two-lane asphalt. The car wobbled as it drove over the rocky path and into Bobby's front yard. Everything came to a halt and the squeaky sound of the doors could be heard as the two hurried into Bobby's home, armed.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"Bobby?" The oldest called in a hushed tone.

They guardedly walked into the kitchen, pacing around the corner into the living room. Sam glanced around as Dean kept walking toward the hallway.

The righteous man caught a glimpse of the iron fire poker by the end of the stairs. He snapped his fingers at Sam and gestured over his shoulder to the stairs. They both made their way over to the bottom of the stairs.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Dean squatted and lifted the poker from the floor, examining it.

"I'll go upstairs. You check outside." Dean mouthed to his brother.

Dean trudged up the stairs with his shotgun aimed and his brother went outside to look through the junkyard.

As Dean reached the top level, he tentatively rounded the corner and whisper shouted, "Bobby?" The door on Dean's right slammed shut, then two down the hall just as the one straight ahead creaked open, essentially revealing no one.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"Come out, come out, whoever you are." Dean quipped whilst steadily trailing down the hall. The temperature in the hall plummeted leaving his exhales visible.

Behind him, a woman with brown, shoulder-length hair formed from thin air.

"Dean Winchester. Still so bossy. " She jeered and watched as the man before her, carefully swung around pivoting on his heel.

"You don't recognize me?" She asked mockingly. "This is what I looked like before that demon cut off my hair and dressed me like a _slut_." She sassed.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Dean stood there for a moment, digging deep into his memories from years ago. His eyes lit up as he realized who _she_ was.

"Meg?" Dean questioned.

"Hi." Meg greeted with a giddy voice. She approached Dean slowly with her palms up, "It's okay, I'm not a demon." She affirmed.

Dean's squeezed his shotgun, keeping it trained on the spirit. "You're the girl the demon possessed." He clarified.

"Meg Masters." She paused before continuing, "Nice to finally talk to you when I'm not, you know, _choking_ on my own blood." Meg stepped forward, holding up her hands just as Dean took a wary step back.

"It's okay. Seriously, I'm just a college girl. Sorry-- _was_. I was walking home one night and got _jumped_ by all this _smoke_. Next thing you know, I'm a prisoner..." Meg brought her hand to her head as she spoke, "In here. Now, I was awake. I had to _watch_ while she _murdered_ people." She took advantage of his vulnerability, inching closer with each word spoken.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"I'm sorry." Dean apologized, lowering his gun only slightly. He bit the inside of his cheek, knowing what Meg said was true. It was all his fault.

"Oh yeah? So sorry you had me thrown off a building?" She retorted.

Dean started, "Well, We thought--"

" _No_ , You didn't _think_! I kept _waiting_ , _praying_! I was trapped in there _screaming_ at you! 'Just _help_ me, please!' " She hissed, her voice breaking as she continued. "You're supposed to help people, Dean. Why didn't you help me?"

He furrowed his brows at the question. She was right, he was supposed to help people. He kept his eyes fixed on her as he issued another apology. "I'm sorry."

"STOP saying you're sorry!" Meg sneered, raising her fist and sucker-punching Dean to the floor. Dean groaned as he tried to regain his balance.

"Meg." He grunted. "Meg..." Before he could finish Meg's foot connected with his face. She kicked the gun behind her, leaving Dean defenseless.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Dean groaned as he turned himself over onto his side to look up at the vengeful spirit. He held out his hands, ultimately to be prepared to block if she decided to kick him again. "We didn't know." He declared breathlessly.

"No..." She derided as she took a squat in front of the downed hunter. "You just _attacked_. Did you ever think there was a girl in here?" She ridiculed. " _No._ You just charged in, _slashing and burning._ "

Meg took a long pause to look at Dean's speechless face. It amused her.

"You think you're some kind of hero?"

Dean finally spoke, his voice filled with hatred and honesty. "No, I don't."

"You're damn right." Meg gripped Dean's overshirt and yanked him closer.

On her hand resided a branded symbol that caught the surly hunter's eye. He let her continue. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be _ridden_ for months by _pure evil_...while your family has _no_ idea what happened to you?" Meg challenged.

Dean sneered, "We did the best we could.

Meg only screamed as she kicked him once in his face and again in his side.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

Ariel could hear all the shouting and grunts from the hallway as she observed from afar, undetectable to Dean. Michael's words playing over in her mind. The Winchesters didn't want her help so why should she stay?

The wind whisked past Ariel's face, her red locks swaying along with the breeze. The poppies brushing against her calves.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

She fell to the ground and draped her wings around herself to hide her collapsing facade. In reality, She wasn't happy or as ruthless as everyone painted her to be. She was essentially a human with fluffy wings and a halo. Maybe God made her this way on purpose, but of all her billions of years of fighting wars and defending heaven's honor, she never thought to question her purpose. Only God and Lucifer knew what she was created for and of course Lucifer didn't like it one bit.

_Return to heaven and face your consequences._

"You cannot hide from me, sister." Michael spoke with disdain. He clutched her hair and hauled her to her feet whilst holding an arch blade to her nape.

Ariel only closed her eyes, there wasn't a need to respond. She silently prayed to Castiel, _'Esiasch, gnay ge bams ol. Ol zir being locked nalvage Camilax g dean-'_

Michael unknowingly, interrupted her prayer. "No snappy response? No fight?" He challenged.

She would not let him see her weak, he did not consider her feelings. He blindly followed orders. 

"Good. This will be easy for me then." He muttered and the two disappeared from the poppy field.

The siblings appeared in a closed-off section of heaven, a large metal box with wardings on all sides, in the middle of a pure white room.

Ariel kicked her feet, screaming at the top of her lungs. She knew this box. This horrible contraption that Michael built only for her and her alone.

When she didn't listen, when she didn't obey Father _(Michael)_ , into the Mal'ak box she went. It was similar to how parents grounded their children, except they could see the light of day. Inside the box, no light came through. All you were surrounded by were the darkness and your thoughts.

Michael dragged his sister toward the box by her hair, gripping it tighter by the scalp as she squirmed and fought. Ariel wrapped her hands around his forearm, digging her rounded nails into his skin with all her strength. He let go momentarily, grasping her dress to pull her to her feet but she pushed and pulled away from him, causing the fabric to tear in two.   
Half of the torso of her dress crumpled to the floor, exposing the top of her right breasts but not all of it.

"Michael, please. You can't do this to me, not another century." Ariel pleaded, tears filling her eyes.  
"What would Father think of this, locking me away for years after his leaving. He would condemn you!" She spat, head-butting his mouth.

She touched down on earth almost a century ago, doing a mission with Castiel to fix a Nephilim problem, that Ishim led. After it had been reported that she tried to save the Nephilim, Michael locked her away as punishment. She should've listened, then maybe she wouldn't be tortured or so she thought.

Michael only looked at her with dead eyes. He had no plan of changing his mind so he drew his arch blade. "Would you rather die?" He queried.  
Ariel held her head high, revealing her neck to him. She would rather die than deal with another century alone. She called his bluff, dear Michael wouldn't murder her, she was one of God's favorites, right next to Lucifer.

Ariel tore her eyes away from the monster, snatching away her arm as she spat, "Coward."

"Little one, into the box. If you didn't want this, you should have obeyed. " He commanded whilst sheathing his blade. The prince hesitantly ran his hands over the latches on the box, unlocking each one and opening the door.

The red-head flinched as she heard the hinges creak. Her worst nightmare, other than Lucifer, was being alone. Michael was no brother, neither was Raphael. Gabriel was a coward and Lucifer was long gone. All she had was Castiel and he has no clue where she disappears to. He barely remembers her when she returns.

"Ariel," Michael said her name softly, almost as if he didn't enjoy locking her away for eternity. 'Better than the cage' He always said, as if being alone with your thoughts for one hundred years was much better than being alone with Lucifer. She would rather be with Satan then alone with herself.

Ariel dragged her bare feet against the cold, white floor, bringing herself closer to damnation. Once she reached the entrance, she just stared blankly at the darkness. _'At least it's a big box'_ She reasoned with herself.

Michael roughly pushed her in and slammed the front shut. "It will be all right." Michael whispered against the thick wall as he began locking each latch.  
Ariel screamed at his choice of words, banging her fist against the box. Each hit echoed throughout heaven, startling Castiel.

Ariel curled into the fetus position with her large wings curling over her. She deserved this.

. . .

Castiel sat in the meeting room, waiting for Ariel. He gazed intensely at the list of seals that have been broken. _Too many._ It had been almost an hour since Ariel's report had been due.

He brought his hand to his head as a woman's voice came through. _'Brother, do not forget me. I am being locked away. Speak with Dean-'_

"Locked away...Where is she?" Castiel asked himself. He stood from his feet and exited the room. He made a left turn and walked down the rows of white doors with names on them.

"Ariel..." He hummed as he ran his fingers over her name plate and then reached for the door knob. He turned the door knob and wandered into the poppy field.

"Little one?" Castiel shouted, squinting as the sun beamed down on his face directly.  
It was barren. Five loud thuds abruptly filled the silence and all throughout heaven making the soldier flinch.

"What the hell?" The angel turned to leave, deciding to just finish his mission without Ariel.

Castiel stood alone in the kitchen, perched against the sink. He observed Dean, waiting for him to eventually wake up.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows and shifted in his sleep. He couldn't shake the feeling as though he was being watched. He slowly opened his eyes and rolled over onto his stomach to see none other than Castiel waiting in the kitchen and no Ariel. The 30-year-old looked to Sam to see if he was still asleep, and then back to the angel. He quietly stood to his feet and shuffled over to the Angel, a curious look in his eyes.

"Excellent job with the witnesses," Castiel stated blankly.

"You were hip to all this?" Dean asked begrudgingly whilst looking around for the archangel.

"I was, uh, made aware. Ariel kept a close eye on you." Castiel replied hesitantly.

"And where's Ariel? She saved Sammy earlier and I said some things..." Dean placed his palm to his right shoulder.

Castiel evaded Dean's question. The wood flooring now seemed interesting to him. Dean took notice but decided to question later.

"Well, thanks a lot for the angelic assistance. You know, I almost got my heart ripped out of my chest. At least Ariel did something." He pointed to his left pectoral.

"But you didn't...and she wasn't supposed to." Castiel quipped.

"I thought angels were supposed to be _guardians_. Fluffy wings, halos-- you know, Michael Landon, Not dicks." Dean sneered.

Castiel stared at Dean blankly. "Read the bible. Angels are warriors of God. I'm a soldier."

"Yeah? Ariel's a frighin' archangel, why didn't _you_ fight." Dean countered, snark clear in his voice.

"I'm not _here_ to perch on your shoulder. That was _her_ duty. We had _larger_ concerns." The blue-eyed celestial being clarified.

"And where the hell is she?! And- And _concerns_?" Dean huffed. The angel avoided his gaze as Dean resumed, "There were people getting torn to _shreds_ down here! And, by the way, while all this is going on, where the hell is your _boss_ , huh, if there is a God?"

"There's a God." Castiel affirmed, evading the question about his sister.

"Well, I'm not convinced." Dean drawled. 'Cause if there's a God, what the hell is he waiting for, huh? Genocide? Monsters roaming the earth? The freaking apocalypse? At what point does he lift a damn finger and help the poor bastards that are stuck down here?"

Castiel huffed, "The lord works--"

Dean growled, clenching his fists as he whispered. "If you say 'mysterious ways,' so help me, I will _kick_ your ass."

The soldier, at that moment, wanted to give up, but he had his orders. Things would've gone smoother if his big sister was here. She was the smooth talker.

He let out a small sigh as he slammed his hands on the kitchen sink behind him. Dean gawked at the angel with a bewildered expression at his response.

"So, Bobby was right..." He inquired as he inched toward the counter and closer to the trench-coated angel. "About the witnesses. This is some kind of a...sign of the apocalypse."

"That's why we're here. Big things afoot."

"Do I wanna know what kind of things?" The Righteous man asked.

Castiel shrugged. "I _sincerely_ doubt it, But you need to know. The rising of the witnesses is one of the 66 seals."

Dean quipped, "Okay, I'm guessing that's not a show at Seaworld."

"Those seals are being broken by Lilith." Cas informed.

Dean's guarded expression changed as he put two and two together. "She did the spell. She rose the witnesses."

"Mm-hmm" Cas confirmed but continued, "And not just here. 20 other hunters are dead."

"Of course. She picked victims that the hunters couldn't save so that they would _barrel_ right after us." Dean uttered.

"Lilith has a certain sense of humor." Castiel joked.

Dean hoped for the best. "Well, we put those spirits back to rest."

"Doesn't matter. The seal was broken." The angel replied.

"Why break the seal anyway?"

Castiel inhaled deeply, "You think of the seals as locks on a door..."

"Okay. Last one opens and..." Dean leaned forward.

Cas inhaled sharply and slowly turned to face the hunter, "Lucifer walks free."

Dean stared at the angel, his brows furrowed as he tried to process all of this. He was scared shitless, but of course, refused to show this. He resulted in anger and humor. "Lucifer?" He mocked. "But I thought Lucifer was just a story they told at _demon_ Sunday school. There's no such thing."

"Three days ago, you thought there was no such thing as Ariel and I." Castiel countered with a small smile.

There it was again, he spoke about Ariel. She wasn't here but it was her job to 'perch on his shoulders.' Dean just gawked at the angel as he recommenced. "Why do you think we're here walking among you now for the first time in 2,000 years?"

"To stop Lucifer." Dean announced breathlessly, his eyes wide with realization and fear.

The gruff angel nodded, "That's why we've arrived."

"Well..." Dean drawled. "Bang-up job so far. Stellar work with the witnesses. That's nice."

"We _tried_." Castiel asserted, taking a small step forward. "And there are other battles, other seals. Some we'll win, some we'll lose. This one we _lost_." Dean scoffed at his comment, pissing off the Angel with his disrespectfulness. If only Dean knew.

Castiel stepped to the hunter, "Our numbers are _not_ unlimited. Six of my brothers died in the field this week. I possibly just lost my best friend. You _think_ the _armies_ of Heaven should just follow you around? There's a _bigger_ picture here." The soldier leaned forward into Dean's personal space causing him to retract. Castiel's emphasis on sister did not go unnoticed. "You should show me some respect. _Ariel_ isn't here, I dragged you out of Hell. I can _throw_ you back in." Castiel directed and proceeded to leave but Dean seized his forearm.

"Where is _she_?" Dean pushed, looking to the angel with pain in his eyes.

"Ariel...has this _weakness_. Nature, Humans...I think she was created that way, but only God and Lucifer know." Castiel casually stated as he walked to the desk with the angel lore book on it.

"Humans made up their own lore about why she created." He opened to the designated page and pressed his finger against the picture. He quipped, "Try reading." And with that, he disappeared, leaving a disheveled Dean in the kitchen.

The man slowly walked over to the book, and his eyes widened at the picture. The picture was colorized, handpainted with extreme detail. It was Ariel, painted in the foreground holding a red, glowing, two-handed sword. Behind her were a set of very large, ombre red to white, wings. Her red hair flowed behind her, as she faced the open sky. Dean studied the art with intense focus. Just below her were humans, cowering in fear, but not at her.

She was _The_ Guardian. Then, Dean knew she shouldn't be locked away. Something was wrong in heaven.

Dean left the book open, deciding he would read it in the morning. He shuffled back to his makeshift bed and laid down, pulling the jacket over himself. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought of Ariel.


	4. In the Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Dean is transported back in time and finds that his newfound grandfather may be hiding a secret that is key to Sam and Dean's predicament. While dreaming, he finds a familiar face. Castiel seems to have trouble remembering, and Ariel deals with her time in the Mal'ak box.
> 
> Warning(s): Self-loathing, Fluff, Angst, Typical Supernatural violence, Mild Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure how to write this one. It isn't one of my favorite episodes, but still, the story is essential. Thanks to everyone who is keeping up with the fic. This episode will have LOTS of Dean x Ariel content, teehee
> 
> Word count: 6,728

"Let. Me. Out!!" Her screech carried through the metal walls and reverberated off the white walls surrounding the box. Ariel kicked at the box with all her energy.

"MICHAEL!" She bellowed, striking the door repeatedly, trying to falter one of the hinges at least. "MICHAEL, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The red-head roared, pounding incessantly at the door. Each time her fist or foot united with the door, all of heaven wavered.

Michael clenched his jaw with each tremor; there was nothing he could do to stop it but let her out. He of all people knew that he could not do that. He just hoped no one would come with questions and investigate the noise further.

Ariel kept going, hammering away at the door. There was no way she would stay put this time, not when she can avert the apocalypse. An inextinguishable fire burned within her. She huffed, stretching her wings as best she could. They were getting achy, it was hard enough having her knuckles bleeding as well as the heel of her foot, but that didn't deter her. With one last try, Ariel rammed her fist into the thick sheet of metal, hearing a small creak.

Alas, let there be light.

. . .

Dean murmured in his sleep, rolling over onto his back with his leather jacket wrapped around his form.

Sam stood in the mirror, observing his brother from afar. He gently retrieved his jacket and peeped at his brother one more time before leaving for the exit.

Dean rolled over to his side, sweating bullets in his sleep. He subconsciously gripped the comforter below him, desperate for comfort to take him away from his nightmares.

. . .

_"Sammy!" Dean bellowed while examining his surroundings and finding himself suspended in the air by hooks. A few in his side and one in his shoulder. He shut his eyes tightly, praying and wishing someone could wake him. Melodious singing filled his ears, drowning out the screams of the damned._

_**Hey Jude, don't make it bad** _

_**Take a sad song and make it better** _

_**Remember to let her into your heart** _

_**Then you can start to make it better** _

_**Hey Jude, don't be afraid** _

_**You were made to go out and get her** _

_**The minute you let her under your skin** _

_**Then you begin to make it better** _

_**And anytime you feel the pain** _

_**Hey Jude, refrain** _

_**Don't carry the world upon your shoulders** _

_**For well you know that it's a fool** _

_**Who plays it cool** _

_**By making his world a little colder** _

_Her voice drifted off once she neared the end of the chorus. Dean squinted, sunlight obstructing his view, but with what he could see in that short moment, he greeted the woman's azure eyes._

_The human slowly opened his eyes, shifting on his back foot and dipping his head down so he could ogle at her properly._

_Her hair shimmered in the sun, the stray whiskers fluttering in the breeze. She looked unhappy, he could tell. Her eyes were red, and her knuckles bruised as if she repeatedly punched a steel wall—her silk dress torn, exposing more of her cleavage._

_"Dean," He heard her whisper in a hoarse voice. Ariel intertwined their fingers and tentatively raised his calloused hand to her tear-stained cheeks._

_Could angels emote?_ _Why had she been crying? So many questions raced through Dean's mind, but none came out. All he was able to do was gaze at her intently with wide eyes. Occasionally he would run his tongue over his bottom lip to prevent it from chapping and cracking._

_"I need your help..." She breathed as she lifted a delicate hand to his cheek. Her thumb smoothed over the stubble on his chin as she strived to comfort him as well._

_Dean winced once her fingers grazed his skin. He wasn't afraid of her; he was scared of what someone like_ **_him_ ** _could do to someone like_ **_her_ ** _. Someone that didn't matter and was toxic for everyone around him, but he couldn't pull away from her. There was this magnetic pull, pushing them together. Nothing felt right if he weren't touching her somehow._

_He curled and uncurled his fingers, gradually closing the space between them. His emerald gems darted from her orbs to her lips; they were kissable and swollen plump from her weeping._

_Dean eased into Ariel's touch. "Why are you in my dream? What happened to you?"_

_"I don't know...I was worried." Ariel confessed with fondness in her voice. "I am okay." She lied. Her eyelashes fluttered frantically, trying to blink away the tears that were forming._

_"Where are you?" Dean asked as he gingerly wiped away her tears._

_"In heaven, locked away. Tell Castiel." Ariel whispered._

_"Okay." Dean leaned his forehead on hers, the tips of their noses barely grazing. He studied her eyes with furrowed brows. She inched closer to him, his short breaths brushing her lips. This felt right. It felt needed. Before they could lock lips, Ariel's form flickered and faded away._

_. . ._

Dean's eyes shot open, his breathing labored. He guided his hands to his eyes, massaging them to help him adjust to reality.

"Hello, Dean." Castiel greeted.

Dean swiftly turned over, marking Castiel sitting leisurely on the other side of the bed.

"And what were _you_ dreaming about?" Cas teased flatly.

Dean rolled his eyes at the comment while sitting up. He didn't know what to say to that. That he was just about to kiss his best friend before he woke up? "Ariel. She needs help." He breathed as he tore his leather jacket off his upper half.

"Who?" Castiel asked, genuinely confused.

"Super Model Archangel, pretty red hair. Kinda is the walking description of the sun." Dean could've unearthed more ways to praise her, but he decided to cut it short once he noticed Castiel's expression.

"What about her? What does she need?" Cas narrowed his eyes.

Dean stretched a brow. "She wanted me to tell you that she is in Heaven, locked away."

The blue-eyed man looked to Dean with uncertainty.

"What did you want? What, do you get your freak on by watching other people sleep? What did you _want_?" He queried.

The trench-coated angel answered him evasively, "Listen to me. You have to stop it."

Dean scoffed at the ambiguity. "Stop what?"

Cas pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead.

. . .

Sergeant Fowler approached the sleeping man, nudging him with his baton."Move it, buddy- You can't sleep here."

Dean groggily replied, "Okay. Sleep where?" His eyes darted around.

"Anywhere but here." The officer affirmed and carried on his way.

Dean slowly sat up and reached into the inner pocket of his coat, retrieving John's journal and his cellphone. He flipped it open, ready to call Sam, yet there was no signal. He stared at the phone bewildered and instinctively held it up to the sky, searching for a signal. Dean kissed his teeth while snapping the flip phone shut.

"Perfect," He scoffed.

Dean gazed ahead and, just across the street, resided a Jay Bird's Diner. He gathered his things and looked both ways before crossing over to the diner's entrance.

Entering the restaurant was like taking a dip back to earlier times. The Allman Brothers Band's 'Ramblin' Man' played overhead, giving the restaurant a lovely, classic feeling.

Dean closed the door behind him, eyeing everything dubiously. He noticed a young man who looked about his age, sitting at the counter with a newspaper in hand.

His hair was dark, and he donned a blue plaid shirt with a thin jacket.

The righteous man approached the counter and took a seat directly next to the young man. "Hey, Where the hell am I?" He quizzed.

The young man responded, "Jay Bird's Diner." They made eye contact. His eyes were a hazel-green, similar to Dean's.

Dean looked to his hands, dumbfounded by that obvious response. He returned the man's gaze, "Yeah, thanks. I mean uh...city and state."

The dark-haired man laughed at Dean's behavior. Why was he here if he didn't know where he was? "Lawrence, Kansas."

This city always made Dean's eye twitch. He loathed being in the same town where his mother died. It disturbed him that he was in Lawrence, Kansas, with no cell service or guide. He veered away from the man, "Lawrence." He confirmed in a disconcerted tone.

The gentleman's face wrinkled in confusion, "Are you okay, buddy?" He leaned in expectantly.

The leather-clad hunter brought his hand to his face in exhaustion and confusion. He wasn't sure what to reply with, so he let out a small sigh. "Yeah...tough night."

"Hey, uh, coffee here, Reg." The young man ordered for Dean.

At that moment, the conversation was going nowhere, so the gruff 30-year-old, scoured through his jacket pocket for his cell phone. He snapped it open and leaned over to the man, "Can you tell me where I can get reception on this thing?"

The hazel-eyed man scoffed his reply, The U.S.S. Enterprise."

Dean only raised a brow at the answer; either he was crazy, or the man was mad. Dean thought the latter. Before he could think of a reply, the waiter sat a cup of joe in front of him. "Thanks." He acknowledged while looking up at his waiter.

"Nice threads." Dean commented to the waiter, bringing the steaming cup to his lips. "You know Sonny and Cher broke up, right?" He quipped.

The young man stared at Dean, appalled by his statement, "Sonny and Cher broke up?"

Dean eyed the man for a moment, realizing his question was genuine as if he didn't know. Something clicked in his mind, and he took a look at everyone in the eatery. They were all dressed according to the 70s fashion trends. His eyes filled with panic; he only needed one last thing to confirm his suspicions. He moved his eyes over to the newspaper, still perched up in the young man's hands. The date read, **Monday, April 30th, 1973.** Dean mouthed the year 1973, eyes wide.

The sound of the diner's door opening and closing filled Dean's ears, but he did not turn around until he heard, "Hey, Winchester."

Surprisingly, both men turned to find the face that called to them. Dean looked at the man expectantly, ready to ask him how did he know him, but the older man just walked around Dean and straight to the young man.

"Son of a bitch! How you doin', Corporal." The man greeted the so-called Winchester, shaking his hand with glee.

Dean stirred in his seat to watch the scene take place. Who was this mysterious Winchester? All Dean could think of was 'Dad?' But that couldn't be possible. No way he was in 1973, sitting next to his father and casually drinking coffee.

"Hey, Mr. D," The other Winchester greeted.

"I heard you were back."

"Yeah, a little while now," Winchester confirmed.

Mr. D smiled at the man, confirming for Dean what he had been wondering all along, "Good to have you home, John, _damn_ good."

Dean gaped at John. Who was this giddy young man before him? No way that could've been John Winchester, saving people, hunting things, the family business- John Winchester. But it was. Dean managed to get out a small, "Dad?"

Mr.D and John continued their conversation, "Well, say hello to your old man for me."

John nodded, "You got it, Mr. D." He returned to his original position before peering over to Dean.

Dean never once took his eyes off his father, watching like an idiot.

"Do we know each other?" He questioned, certainly confused by Dean's staring.

Shit! Dean swallowed hard, eyes wide. _'Say something!'_ Dean smacked his lips and inhaled sharply before speaking, "I guess not." He sipped his coffee, awkwardly.

John sat for a moment to think it over before getting up from the counter. "Take it easy, pal." He told Dean and strolled over to the door. He shared one last puzzled look with Dean before exiting the diner. John casually walked down the sidewalk with his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. A few feet behind John, Dean, was tailing him. 

Dean's mission had something to do with John, but what could that be? His father rounded the corner, and as Dean did, he stopped in his tracks, coming face to face with the angel, Castiel.

Dean grew furious, his breathing becoming shallow, "What is this?" He queried.

"What does it look like?" Castiel replied blankly.

"Is it real?" Dean charged.

"Very."

"Okay, so, what, angels got their hands on some _DeLoreans_? How did I get here?" Dean appended.

Castiel smacked his lips and looked away from the clueless human. _'This would go much smoother if Ariel were here.'_ He always thought in these moments. Dean asked too many questions, and it bothered him. "Time is fluid, Dean." Castiel sighed, "It's not easy, but we _can_ bend it on occasion."

"Well, Bend it back. Or tell me what the hell I'm doing here." The hunter demanded.

"I told you. You have to stop it." Castiel put it vaguely, infuriating Dean further.

Dean cross-examined, "Stop what? Huh? What is there something nasty after my dad?" A car horn blared along with tires screeching, stealing Dean's attention away from the angel and allowing Castiel time to 'escape.'

Dean returned his gaze toward the last place Cas had been standing and lifted his arms, "Come on. What, are you allergic to straight answers, you son of a bitch?!" He unobtrusively shouted. The only clue Dean could follow was his father.

He carried on, noticing a large sign **Rainbow Motors Car Dealership** _ **.**_ He caught a glimpse of a familiar car, and a small smile danced across his face. He hastily made his way over to his future car, admiring her beauty in the spring sun. The boy perched himself against the hood of Baby, waiting for his father to finish his conversation. Dean focused on the ground, deep in thought. Once he saw the car dealer walk away, Dean knew it was his turn to talk.

"That's not that one you want," Dean suggested.

John whipped around and stepped to Dean, "You following me?"

'Yes, I am, but you don't need to know that or why.' Dean thought to himself before actually responding, "No, no, I was just passing by. I never got to thank you for that cup of coffee this morning. I was a little out of it."

"More than a little." John joked with a half-smile.

"Let me repay the favor." Dean pivoted on his heel and knocked on the midnight black '67 impala. "This is the one you want."

John grinned, "Oh yeah? You - You know something about cars?"

Dean gave John a slight nod, starting to disassociate due to the nostalgia. "Yeah...yeah, my Dad taught me everything I know." John nodded his head toward the car, and Dean took that as a hint to continue. "And this- this is a great car."

He placed both hands on the hood longingly before opening it and leaning in. Eager to hear what Dean had to say, John, accompanied him on the side of the car.

"327 four-barrel, 275 horses. A little T.L.C., this thing is cherry." Dean drawled.

"You know, man..." John inspected the car as if he were thinking of someone else, "You're right."

"Then what are you buying _that_ thing for?" The hunter motioned to the microvan.

John slightly shrugged, "I kinda promised someone I would."

"Over a '67 chevy?" Dean questioned while laughing. "I mean, come on. This is the car of a lifetime." He paused, "Trust me, this thing's still gonna be badass when it's 40." The 30-year-old concluded with a knowing nod.

John pulled his lips into a thin line, unsure of what to buy. He fixed his hazel eyes on Dean and smiled. "John Winchester." He greeted as he held out his hand for Dean to shake. "Thanks."

Dean flashed his father his pearly whites and returned the gesture. "Dean Van Halen- and thank _you_." His eyes lingered on John for a moment before he went to close the hood. All of this was trippy for him. Was he the initial reason John bought the impala? Time travel confused Dean. He gathered that he hated it.

John traced his fingers over the silver trim of Baby's window, leaning into the window to get a feel for the car.

Dean thought of Castiel's words. _You need to stop it._ It was very questionable, but he knew he had to figure it out on his own. "I was in pretty rough shape this morning, huh?" He chortled.

"No, kidding." John laughed, still admiring Baby's interior design.

The leather-clad hunter resumed, "I've been hungover before, but, hey, I was getting chills in that diner. You didn't feel any of those cold spots, did you?" Dean poked, wondering if maybe a spirit was after him.

"Nope."

Dean continued to pry, "I swore I smelled something _weird_ , too, you know? Like rotten eggs. You didn't happen to smell any sulfur, by chance?"

John arched his brows at Dean's persistence. "No." He chuckled.

Dean grimaced but persisted, "Have there been any cattle mutilations in town?"

John inhaled sharply, obviously disturbed. "Okay, mister, stop it."

Dean shifted on his other foot, staring down at the ground. "Yeah...If only I knew what to stop." He had a scared look in his eyes as he studied the clueless John. "Listen, uh...watch out for yourself, okay?"

The civilian just looked at Dean with a look of utter bewilderment and furrowed brows. Dean was crazy. John decided it was best to just agree with the man, "Yeah. Sure."

. . .

The impala smoothly traveled down the road and pulled over next to a house. In the far distance, a brown car parks on the opposite side of the way. A young blonde woman ran out of the house, ready to greet her boyfriend but noticed the car behind him.

"Hey," John greeted.

"What's this?" The woman stepped around the back of the car with John right behind her.

"My car." He said with a laugh, looking to her face and searching for approval.

"What happened to the van?" The blonde asked, slightly upset.

John could sense her uneasiness, making his way over to her and placing a light hand on the back window. "Mary, This is _better_ than the van! This has got a 327, a four-barrel carburetor."

Dean's eyes widened at the realization of who the blonde woman was. He sat back in his seat, trying to regain any composure he once had as it breathed out a soft, "Mom?"

_After tracking Mary and John to a diner, Dean finds out that his mother was a hunter. Dean persuaded Mary to let him talk with her dad, his grandfather. There, his elder quizzed him on how to hunt the supernatural._

Mary's father sat in a recliner chair, studying a lore book as he acknowledged Dean. "So, you're a hunter?" He mocked, "Well, tell me something, mister hunter, you kill vampires with wooden stakes or silver?"

Dean grinned at his forwardness, "Neither. You cut their heads off. So, do I pass your test?" He poked.

"Yep." Samuel retorted while also closing the lore book in annoyance and tossing it on the small coffee table. "Now get out of my house." He snapped.

Mary scoffed at her dad's disdain. "Dad!"

Samuel ignored his daughter and made no effort to look Dean in the eye. "I don't trust other hunters, Dean, don't want their help, don't want them around my family."

In the background, Deanna prepared the table. "Knock it off, Samuel."

"He's a hunter," Sam replied.

Deanna strolled into the living room and placed a hand on her hip, "Who passed your little pop quiz, and now I am inviting to dinner. Are you hungry?"

"Starving." Dean replied.

"Good. I'm Deanna." She informed, extending out a hand for Dean to shake. "You've met my husband, Samuel, now wash up."

Dean looked at Mary with a warm smile; it made him feel nice to know he and his brother were named after their grandparents. "Samuel and Deanna?" Mary just gave him a knowing nod. He added, "Really?"

. . .

Everyone sat around the dinner table, eating dinner. Dean held a knife in one hand and a fork in the other. As he went to tear into his steak, he was interrupted by a light tap on the arm from Deanna.

"First time in Lawrence, Dean?" She started with a smile.

"Well, it's been a while. Things sure have changed...I think." Dean went back to eating, but before he could, he was asked another question.

"You working a job?" Samuel asked while pouring gravy over his mashed potatoes.

"Yeah, maybe." Dean replied vaguely, setting both forearms on the table as he looked to Sam.

"What's that mean?" Samuel snapped.

Dean smirked at Samuel's suspicions, "It means I don't trust other hunters either, Samuel."

Mary and Deanna shared a look of admiration for Dean's sass. The young woman chewed on her fork before speaking, "Hey, um" She cleared her throat. "Why were you following me and John?" 

The chartreuse-eyed hunter sat his utensils down and looked to Mary. "Mmm, I thought something was after you, um -- boyfriend, but um, I don't think that anymore."

Mary looked at her father as Deanna began talking, "John Winchester mixing it up with spirits, can you imagine?" Deanna tittered while shifting her gaze to her husband. Samuel grimaced.

"I saw that," Mary mumbled.

"What?" Her father retorted.

Mary snatched her napkin from her lap and placed in on the table. "That sour lemon look."

The elder held up his hand and flashed her a nervous smile. "Now hold on, John's a really, really nice..." He took a long pause and turned away from Mary as he continued. "Naive civilian."

The young woman scoffed and nodded over to Dean, "So what? You'd rather me be with a guy like this?"

Dean gagged on his water, peering up at Mary, his mother. "What? No, no. No. I- I have...someone- I think" He coughed and lifted the napkin to his lips.

"You think?" Deanna smiled at his uncertainty. "Why not 'I know?' " She pressed.

The righteous man tightened his hold on the glass at her question. What would his answer be, 'Because she is an Archangel and is locked away in heaven.' They didn't need to know about _that_ or _her._

Dean pulled his lips into a tight line and nodded his head. "She's uh...tied up right now, with more important things." He stammered through that sentence, a few pauses here and there. The hunter cleared his throat to avoid any more prying. "So what about you, Sam? You, uh, working a job?"

Samuel brought his glass to his lips and gave Dean a shrug, "Might be."

Mary picked at her food and rolled her eyes. "He's working a job on the Whitshire farm." Sam's eyes immediately darted over to his daughter's ultimately giving her the bitch face.

"Whitshire--why does that name sound familiar to me?" Dean pondered.

Samuel leaned back in his chair as he responded, "It's been all over the papers --Tom Whitshire. Got tangled up in a combine a few towns over."

Dean shrugged. "That kind of thing happens."

"Except why was he on it in the first place if his crops are all dead?" Sam queried.

The young male hunter looked away in thought, "Demonic omens?"

"That's what I got to find out." Samuel affirmed, along with a nod.

Dean rubbed his fingers tips together to get whatever was left on them and then dabbed his face with the napkin. "What about the rest of the town? Did you find anything on the web-of... information that you have assembled?" Dean pursed his lips, understanding they had no idea what the internet was.

Deanna interjected, "Electrical storms, maybe. The weather service graphs should be here on Friday."

"By mail?"

Sam scoffed at the question, how else would it be delivered? "No, we hired a jetliner to fly them to us overnight." He ridiculed.

This just made Dean smile. Of course, it wasn't a laughing matter, but the tension just made things awkward. 

"You know, it sounds to me like we might be hunting the same thing." Dean drawled. "You know if we go in there in numbers, we could take care of this real quick."

Samuel leaned into the table, "What part of 'we work alone' do you not understand, son?" He made his feelings clear. He didn't want Dean anywhere near their hunt.

The mossy eyed hunter got the message loud and clear. He shifted in his chair and flashed his family a sheepish smile. "Okay."

Dean relaxed on the motel bed; his mind overwhelmed by all that he has learned. His mother's side of the family were hunters. He had so much to tell Sam when he got home. 

The man let out a hard sigh as he removed his shoes. He figured he should go shower, so he pushed himself to his feet and wandered into the bathroom.

Every minute he wasn't talking or occupying himself, he thought of Ariel. He leaned over the sink with both hands on each side. It wasn't often Dean looked in the mirror, but when he did, he despised what he saw. He bored holes into his own eyes, clasping the ceramic sink. 

The silence was deafening; he hated that. His thoughts were very loud, so loud that it felt like they were screaming, clawing at his skull. He tore himself away from the mirror and began peeling off his many layers. He sniffed, wiping his nose as he stood next to the tub in his boxers.

His movements were slow, almost as if he didn't want to shower, but he needed to- just to clear his mind of things. Dean never liked being alone. Everything felt too big- too much. This is why he needed Sam. His presence made him feel less isolated; he didn't carry the weight alone.

Dean clutched the shower nozzle and twisted it toward the 'H.' The water carried through the pipes and out the showerhead, raining down on the ivory tub. Casually, he stepped out of his undergarments and eased into the shower. He slid the curtains closed.

In the shower, nothing else mattered; it was just him and his thoughts. There, he allowed his facade to crumble. Why couldn't things be so much easier for him and his brother? He spent 40 years in hell just to be brought back to stop the rising of Lucifer.

The righteous man stood utterly still under the scalding water. The water pressure wasn't the best, but at this moment, he did not care. He carded his fingers through his damp hair while also taking a deep breath.

All of the guilt pulverized him, resulting in tears. They fell in rivulets with the water, blending in. Dean looked to the ceiling through his tears and let out an unsteady breath.

"I can't," He choked out before taking in a sharp breath. "It- It's not fair." Dean tried his best to hold in his sobs, but they came out the more he prayed to Ariel. 

"It's not fair..." He lamented. All he wanted was to live a normal life now, to be ignorant of what went bump in the night. He knew he would be happier; his shoulders would feel much lighter.

All he longed for was to hear that it will be okay even if he knew that it wouldn't be, but he had no one- Correction; He didn't deserve anyone, or so he thought.

Dean turned off the shower and reached for a towel. He tied it around his waist and grasped for his boxers. His face was stoic, the opposite of what it had been just only 10 minutes ago.

The freshly cleaned hunter eyed his boxers, debating whether to hand wash them or not. Not. He dropped his towel and stepped into the plain black boxers. He decided not to sleep in his shirt, considering he might have to wear it tomorrow.

Dean shuffled over to his single bed and flopped down. It was a tough day, a lot to take in. He let out a loud sigh and shimmied under the scratchy blankets.

It was nice to fall asleep and be hopeful of something other than nightmares.

Dean drifted off to sleep.

. . .

Ariel laid in the fetal position against the cold hard metal, attempting to use her wings to keep comfy. She had only been in the Mal'ak box for two days, and it already felt like it has been a millennium.

In these moments, she missed the noisy disputes and Lucifer's destructive behavior. She felt empty.

Ariel's wings seized as a low frequency from 1973 was picked up and traveled through her eardrums. At first, she had no idea who it was that would pray to her, but then she thought about the _only_ human she's made contact with since leaving heaven.

 _"I can't,"_ The voice came through, echoing in her mind. It was Dean. _"It- It's not fair."_ He started again with a trembling tone. Was he crying? This forced the archangel to her feet. She could not give up on humanity and certainly not on The Winchesters.

Ariel clenched her jaw and pressed her bloody digits against the metal door, the cold prickling her wounds. She did not care.

 _"It's not fair."_ Hearing him cry broke her, and her true vessel's heart. What was she to do?

Countless minutes had passed since she heard from Dean. She kept her fingers pressed against the small fissure, searching for relatively anything.

After a while, her arm began cramping from holding it up at an awkward angle. She couldn't give up. Ariel just inhaled deeply, shut her eyes, and searched again.

There he was.

_. . ._

_Dean relaxed on the hood of his impala, sipping a beer and gazing at the stars above. He never really stargazed alone, but he felt like he was waiting for someone._

_"I used to do this every day with my big brother..." A voice whispered from his left. He nearly leaped out of his clothes but calmed once he saw it was Ariel. His heart skipped a beat when he examined her. She dressed nicely, and all her bruises were gone. She donned a teal 40s sundress with tiny pink polka dots. It had thick straps and bow of the same print in the center. Her hair neatly pinned up in a tight, curly pony-tail._

_Dean sat up slowly with his mouth agape. "You aren't all bruised." He stated. It was obvious she hid her bruises for his comfort but probably for herself too._

_Ariel perched herself upon the ball of her palms, a modest smile dancing across her cherry pink lips. She pursed her lips at his statement. "You are very observant." She mocked with a sweet laugh._

_"Yeah, well, you don't make it easy." The male riposted as he slid off the hood and rested himself against the side of the car. He avoided eye contact with her, shifting here and there whenever he could feel her gaze locked on him._

_"I'm sorry." Ariel breathed while also coming down from the hood. The archangel didn't mean to offend him. He was genuinely concerned for her._

_"Don't." Dean uttered hesitantly, then came a long pause._

_The jaded hunter finally turned to face the woman. He had no idea she was standing this close to him because when he turned around, he could feel her body heat radiating from her. Dean clenched his jaw once his olive eyes fixated on her doe eyes._

_"I- I meant..." He stammered, trying to find the right words before he proceeded. "Why would does someone like_ _**you** _ _give a_ _**crap** _ _about someone like_ _**me** _ _?" The man managed to get out before he started to break down._

_Ariel looked away for only a moment, just to find an answer to his inane question. It wasn't as though she meant to 'give a crap' about him. He was her mission and only that, but she supposed Fate had other intentions._

_"You ask why a lot, and never just accept. I don't know_ _**why** _ _I care, but I_ _**do** _ _." Ariel put it as best as she could._

_Dean stilled, his eyes capturing all of the small details of her face. The freckles on her cheeks to the curl of her lips when her face relaxed. She had a beauty mark under her left eye, hiding under her long eyelashes._

_He curled and uncurled his digits as he began speaking, "I have to question the good things 'cause in this life..." He hesitated. "They don't come easy or without a price."_

_Ariel offered Dean a wan smile before she tiptoed to fling her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a tight hug. She wasn't sure what to say to that. What he believed was right, but it didn't always apply to everything._

_Dean closed his eyes, accepting her touch with bliss. He leaned into her, burying his face in between the crook of her neck and shoulder. She smelled like cherries. This small display of affection cracked his mask. Dean wrapped his arms around her and pulled him deeper into his chest._

_Ariel carded her fingers through the hair on his nape, gripping him as tight as she did when she helped raise him from perdition. She brought her lips to his ear and planted a small kiss to his sideburn before she whispered, "It isn't you that will be paying the price, so do not worry."_

_"That doesn't make it any better."_ _The guilt-ridden man only pulled her in tighter as he talked. This felt right; her in his arms and them chest to chest. The only missing thing was to connect all of them to merge as one._

_Dean subconsciously pressed his lips against the skin of her neck. He ran his tongue over chapped lips and went to kiss the same spot, Ariel's figure flickered and gradually faded away like a mirage, and he felt a sudden pang of emptiness._

_. . ._

Ariel fell to the floor, nearly breathless. "Damnit." Dressing fancy and hiding her bruises took a considerable amount of energy and focus.

She leaned against the iron wall and pulled her knees to her chest. Those little moments gave her a reason to fight the wretched contraption. Either she would have to tear it apart or hope that Castiel will break her out. She focused on the former.

The warrior raised herself to her feet and pressed her palms against the loose hinge.

. . .

Dean reluctantly opened his eyes and stretched his limbs. "Great..." He slammed his fist down on the clock, putting an end to the incessant ringing. The worst part about dreaming is forgetting that nothing's authentic. The scenery and the stars were all fake except _her_. The thought put a smile on his face as he started his day.

_After conducting his interview with the victim's wife and talking to the kid, Dean went back to the Campbell's residence. The yellow-eyed demon was in town and making deals. Dean leaves their home and is on his way to borrow the colt._

Dean white-knuckled the steering wheel as he drove, silently praying but was interrupted by Castiel appearing in the passenger seat. He inhaled sharply. "So what? God's my co-pilot, is that it?"

Castiel just glanced at Dean, silent.

"Oh, you're a regular Chatty Cathy." Dean quipped while taking his eyes off the road to look at Cas. "Tell me something-- Sam would have wanted in on this, why not bring _him_ back?"

Cas fixed his azure eyes on the hunter, "You had to do this alone, Dean."

Dean shifted in his seat, questioning in his mind why. "And you don't care that he's tearing up the future looking for me right now?"

Castiel wore a small smile on his face at that idea but knew for sure it wasn't a possibility. "Sam's not looking for you."

That puzzled Dean. What would he be doing then? That worried him, but he wouldn't show it. He changed the subject. "Alright, If I do this, then the family curse breaks, right? Mom and Dad live happily ever after, and- and, Sam and I grow up playing little league and chasing tail?'

Castiel furrowed his brow at his asinine inquisition. "You realize, if you do alter the future, your father, you, Sam- you'll never become hunters. And all those people you saved, they'll die. You will never meet Ariel or me."

Fuck. Dean realized he would never become a hunter, and he would never meet Ariel. He wouldn't need to meet her if he weren't in danger... He licked his lips and answered, "I realize."

"And you don't care?"

Dean tightened his grip on the wheel. Of course, he cared, but this was _his_ life. "I care..." He started. "I care a lot, but these are my parents. I'm not gonna let them die again. I can't. No. Not if I can stop it." He whipped his head to see the passenger side empty. The troubled man just stared ahead, doubt in his eyes.

He furrowed his brows and went back to silently praying to Ariel for hope.

_. . ._

_After trailing the demon to Liddy Walsh's, Dean attempted to kill the demon but failed. The craziness of the hunting life sent Mary running to John, begging to run away. Dean tried to convince Samuel that he was the future but failed to notice he was possessed. The Yellow-eyed demon revealed his real intentions with his special children and convinced Mary to make the deal that started it all. John lives, and the demon bleeds into Sam's mouth._

Dean's eyes shot open, accompanied by a gasp. His eyes darted around, searching for the angel and spotting him at the foot of the bed. Castiel seemed to be immersed in his thoughts, staring at the wall.

"I couldn't stop any of it. She still made the deal. She still died in the nursery, didn't she?" Dean questioned in a hoarse murmur.

Castiel blankly replied, "Don't be too hard on yourself. You couldn't have stopped it."

This wasn't the response Dean wanted or needed. He pushed himself to his feet, followed by a short, "What?"

"Destiny can't be changed, Dean." Castiel turned to face the human as he talked. "All roads lead to the same destination."

"Then why'd you send me back?" That truth made Dean sneer. Why the hell put him through that then? It only made him feel worse because he couldn't prevent it.

"For the truth. Now you know everything we do."

"What the _hell_ are you talking about?" Dean breathed.

Castiel averted his gaze to the made bed on Dean's right; Sam nowhere to be found. Dean followed his eyes. "Where's Sam?"

"We know what Azazel did to your brother. What we don't know is why – what his endgame is. He went to great lengths to cover that up."

Dean no longer cared about what Azazel did; he wanted his brother now. "Where's Sam?"

"425 Waterman."

The hunter sported a look of determination and fear. He quickly grabbed his jacket and threw it on. He attentively listened to Cas's words.

"Your brother is headed down a dangerous road, Dean, and we're not sure where it leads. So stop it." Castiel demanded but continued. "Or we will."

This command made Dean halt. He turned to Castiel with wide eyes. 

. . .

Heaven's lights began flickering, followed by trembling. All of the angels scrambled around like ants, trying to find the source of the quakes. 

Castiel was immediately called back to heaven as he heard the commotion. He ran through the halls toward all of the shouting voices, which gathered in front of a door. 

"What is that?" "Is that a Mal'ak box?" "Where is all the shaking coming from?" Castiel heard some of the questions that his brother and sisters had asked their commander. 

Soon, the tremors came to an abrupt end. Silence.

From inside the box, Ariel could hear all the faint voices. All of the stupid questions and the sound of angel blades unsheathing. 'Funny,' She thought. The warrior raised herself to her feet and pressed her palms against the loose hinge. 

Ariel grace charged herself, her eyes filled with a pink glow. Energy came out of the hole in waves. She focused harder, and with a loud grunt, she blew the box into pieces. Bits and chunks of metal were scattered all over the room. 

The lights in the room strobed.

Ariel stilled with her shoulders slumped as she huffed. Her grace charged eyes being the only visible thing in the lights. 

"Ariel" Cas gasped quietly.


	5. Metamorphosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Sam and Dean find that a family man is turning into a flesh-eating monster, and they argue about killing him. Ariel makes a big decision that leaves her crippled and alone.
> 
> Warning(s): Fluff, Heavy Angst, Blood, Nudity, Self-loathing, Kissing, Typical Supernatural violence, Mild Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is an episode with some Sam content for those that really like Sam. I never really liked the Ruby storyline, but anyways here you go. Its a bit wonky everything will be explained in flashbacks, I promise. Kinder surprise egg.

_The lights in the room strobed._

_Ariel stilled with her shoulders slumped as she huffed. Her grace charged eyes being the only visible thing in the lights._

_"Ariel," Cas gasped quietly._

Ariel's wings unfurled, stretching to their full functional 15 feet wingspan. She rolled her shoulders back, exerting her dominance and status over all of the lesser angels. The archangel radiated fury. The woman took a step forward, leaving charred footprints in her wake.

Her wings retracted, the onyx feathers dragging along the floor. As she got closer to the flock, they split down to clear a path.

She stood amid the garrison, Ariel spoke with disdain in her voice. "I will no longer tolerate this horrid _family_." Her eyes met Castiel's when she vocalized the word family.

Raphael entered the room, his presence alone sending the lesser angels into a spiral. Many of them were grateful to have him take away the corrupt archangel.

"You all are _so_ pathetic." She spewed out, and, with a sturdy flap of her wings, she hurried to earth.

. . .

The midnight sky irradiated almost as if the sun had risen. The redhead descended to earth as a blazing ball of fire.

A few pedestrians driving on the highway looked up at the 'meteor' and pulled out their phones to record it. It was too bright for human eyes, but the light captured on the cellphone.

When she touched down, her mere presence started with a 4.9 earthquake, shaking the southwestern hemisphere of Missouri. The trees around where she crash-landed were inert, toppled over, and charred.

Ariel stood from her kneeling position and looked around.

 _"Fallen."_ A voice came from behind her. She whipped around in time to see an archangel blade swipe at her throat. "NO!" She cried as some of her grace floated into a small vile. The woman drew her blade and swiped at the offending angel, Raphael.

Raphael stepped away briefly, allowing Ariel enough time to heal her wound and escape.

The wounded Angel landed in an abandoned warehouse, not too far from where she fell.

Raphael stood in the middle of the crater, a resolute appearance on his face. "You can run, but cannot hide, Little one."

. . .

_425 WATERMAN_

A possessed man sat tied to a chair in the center of a Devil's trap. Sam stood perched in front of the man with his arms crossed. Ruby stood nearby, outside of the trap.

Sam sneered at the demon as he asked, "Where's Lilith?"

The unnamed demon just snarled at the hunter, followed by a smart remark. "Kiss my ass." The abomination's eyes switched to black.

Sam just smirked at the snarky comment. The demon played with fire. "I'd watch myself if I were you."

The demon just scoffed, "Why? Huh? Because you're Sam fucking Winchester, Mr. _Big_ Hero?" He jeered. "And yet _here_ you are, _slutting_ around with some demon. _Real_ hero."

"Shut your mouth," Sam demanded, clenching his jaw as well as his fist.

"Tell me about those months without your brother. About all the things you and this demon _bitch_ do in the dark." Ruby looked to Sam as the guy continued. "Huh? Tell me, hero."

Sam fumed, raising his hand out to the demon and forcing him out of the human with his mind. The man began choking and gagging on a cloud of black smoke as it fell out of his mouth. The smoke gathered and burned through the floor. Sam huffed through his anger, trying to get himself under control.

Dean stood outside of the warehouse, watching the whole debacle.

The tall hunter knelt to the unconscious man and checked for a pulse to which he found one. He glanced up at the female Demon with a wan smile. He began untying the man.

"How'd it feel?" Ruby asked.

Sam glanced back over his shoulder at his demon companion. "Good. No more headaches." He resumed untying the man.

"None? That is good."

The dark-haired man began to stir and panic.

"Hey." Sam gave him a small pat on the back, "Hey. I got you. It's all right." He wrapped his arm around the man's body, helping him to his feet. They both began shuffling toward the door but stopped when Dean strolled in.

Sam bestowed a sheepish look, afraid of how much Dean had seen.

Dean donned a furious expression, and if his gaze could burn, Sam would be on fire.

"So..." The older brother clenched his jaw and casually started toward his little brother. "Anything you wanna tell me, Sam?" Dean's tone was calm, too calm. Sam believed that at any moment, Dean could explode.

Sam panicked. "Dean, Hold on, okay? Just let me--" He talked with wariness.

Dean increasingly approached his naive brother, "You're gonna say 'let me explain' You're gonna _explain_ this? How about this? Why don't you start with _who_ she is, and what the _hell_ is she doing here?"

The closer Dean got, the more Sam's heart wanted to leap out of his chest. Sam was stunned silent. He averted his gaze to Ruby, waiting for her to at least say something.

Ruby smirked. "It's good to see you again, Dean."

"Is that Ruby?" Dean asked in a scarily, still voice. His eyes moved between Sam and Ruby, worried he already knew the answer. The righteous man ran his tongue over his bottom lip before nibbling at the skin. He didn't know what to do with himself; he curled and uncurled his fingers in anger.

Sammy stayed silent, still stunned by his brother's overall presence. Dean shifted on his back foot and observed Ruby again, who's smile faded. Dean abruptly took ahold of the demon and shoved her up against the metal cabinet. He pulled out the demon-killing knife and pulled his arm back to strike, but Sam seized it.

"Don't!" Sam shouted, fighting Dean for the knife and effectively taking it out of his brother's hand, just as Dean threw him against the wall.

Ruby saw this as an opportunity to strike. She wrapped her hand around Dean's neck and shoved him into the cabinet with her super-strength.

Sam promptly called her off, "Ruby, Stop it!"

She pressed hard against Dean and then released her hold over him. Dean regained his posture and glanced at his brother, then the demon. "Well, aren't you an obedient little _bitch_?"

The demon kept her gaze on Dean, staring him down as if she were going to attack him again. "Ruby." The sound of her name pulled her out of her stare down.

"Ruby, he's hurt." Sam motioned to the man who was possessed earlier. "Go."

The brunette woman shared a look with Dean one last time before leaving to aid the injured man. She threw his arm over her shoulder and started for the exit.

Dean shifted on his feet and inched toward the demon. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Ruby exhaled in annoyance and looked over her shoulder at the eldest brother. "The ER...unless you want to go another round first."

Dean stood in silence, contemplating what to do. He was upset, but he just tried his best to keep his composure because he didn't know what would happen if he didn't. It took him a while to even look at his little brother because all he saw was another monster.

"Dean," Sam tried to reason, but Dean just left for the door. It was apparent Sam didn't need Dean anymore, and Dean wasn't going to stand by his brother and watch him turn into some monster.

Sam called for his brother again, "Dean!"

. . .

Dean hurriedly climbed into the impala, jammed the key into the ignition, and started the vehicle. He planted two hands on the steering wheel as he took deep breaths. It was all too much, his brother running around with demon; Ruby out of all of them. It infuriated him just thinking about it. He slammed his fist down on the steering wheel and just prayed.

How ironic that a faithless man prayed so much to something he didn't believe only a few days ago. Dean peered over the back of the seat and reversed Baby and sped off. The car swerved a bit as he pulled onto the asphalt.

All Dean craved at the moment was a drink and possibly a hug from Ariel. He just wanted it all to go away.

_It's the crack of dawn._

Sam couldn't rest. He was too anxious about what Dean would do when he got back to the motel. The guilt ate at him. He sat at the small table, reading a book. Sam tensed when he heard the rumble of the impala in the parking lot. The inevitable. He listened attentively to the creak of Baby's door, to the lock mechanism clicking.

The older brother entered the motel room, not once looking at or acknowledging Sam's presence. Sam quickly stood and watched Dean as he grabbed his duffle bag and began packing away his stuff. Was he leaving? Sam walked over to his brother.

"Dean, What are you doing?"

The leather-clad hunter ignored the stupid question. It was obvious. He just proceeded to pack the rest of his belongings.

"What, are you, are you leaving?" Sam asked in a shaky voice.

Dean replied almost instantly, not once looking at his brother. "Ariel needs me. You don't need me. You and Ruby go fight demons." He zipped up his duffle and started for the door, walking around Samuel.

Sam lifted his hands, trying to reason with his unbelieving brother. "Hold on. Dean, come on, man-"

Dean spun around and sucker-punched his brother with his free hand. The force of the punch made Sam whirl around. With his back to his brother, Sam ran his fingers over his busted lip. He felt like he deserved that.

"You satisfied?" Sam quipped, but evidently, Dean was not amused.

The surly hunter grimaced and decked his little brother again. He tossed his bag to the floor. It was all he could express; anger.

Sam accepted the punch, running his tongue over his bloodied lips. "I guess not."

"Do you even know how _far_ off the reservation you've gone? How far from normal? From human?" Dean scolded his brother.

Sam huffed, of course, he wouldn't be able to see the big picture; his perception clouded. "I'm just exorcising demons."

Dean was taken aback by this dubious claim. 'Just exorcising demons,' His nails dug into the ball of his palm as he restrained himself the best he could. "With your mind!" He roared.

Samuel averted his gaze at that detail he left out.

"What else can you do?" Dean asked calmly. He glared at Sam with hatred deep in his heart.

Sam took in a shaky breath as he tried to defend himself, "It only works with demons, and that's it."

Dean nodded, his breathing labored as he snatched Sam by his shirt. He did not believe him. "What else can you do?!"

Sam stumbled back and pushed his brother's hand away. "I told you!" Dean stepped to Sam. "And I have every reason in the world to believe that." The troubled man turned away from the abomination in front of him. He shook his head one last time and traveled a few steps before Sam's words stopped him.

"Look, I should have said something. I'm _sorry_ , Dean. I _am_. But try to see the other side here-"

Dean whipped his head around at that absurd suggestion. "The other side?!"

"I'm pulling demons out of innocent people." Sam pleaded.

"Use the knife!"

"The knife kills the victim! What I do, most of them survive!" Sam held back his tears, a lump forming in his throat the more he continued to speak. "Look, I've saved more people in the last five months than we save in a year."

Dean absorbed this information, trying to find reason within himself. He just gave him a slight nod, knowing damn well that demons don't keep their word. "That's what Ruby wants you to think? Huh? Kind of like the way she tricked you into using your powers?" He shook his head, radiating frustration. "Slippery slope, brother. Just wait and see. 'Cause it's gonna get _darker_ _and darker,_ and God knows where it ends."

Sam shifted on his feet and stared down at his older brother with furrowed brows. "I'm not gonna let it go _too_ far."

Dean scoffed at his assertion. The anger in him began bubbling and rising to the surface. He stepped away from Sam, afraid he might kill him.

Why did it have to be this way? Things were never going to be easy for Dean, never. Sammy died, he sold his soul for Sammy, he went to hell for Sammy and when he came back to Sammy; He comes to find out that Sammy is parading around with a demon who was undoubtedly manipulating him.

The anger emanating off of him was too much; he had to release it somehow. Dean stepped to the table, setting both hands on the sides of the side table before swatting the lamp.

"It's already gone too far, Sam." The rage now controlled him, choosing his words. Dean licked his lips and took a short breath. "If I didn't know you...I would wanna hunt you." Saying those words tore Dean to shreds. He didn't mean it, but he wanted to get his point across. "And so would other hunters."

Sam tried to blink back his tears, but they were just on the edge of his water line. Those words destroyed him. He wasn't a monster...he was saving people. He let out a shaky breath. "You were gone..." Sam began. "I was here. I had to keep fighting without you. And what I'm doing...it works." The psychokinetic tried to justify his behavior.

Dean drew his lips into a tight line and then frowned. He avoided direct eye contact as much as possible. He could not break, not in a moment like this and not in front of Sam. Dean held out his arms, "Well, tell me. If it's so terrific...then, why'd you lie about it to me?"

Sam guiltily gazed at the carpet. Dean recommenced.

"Why did an angel tell me to stop you?"

That question caught Sam's attention. He looked up at Dean, "What?"

Dean answered, "Cas said that if I don't stop you, _he_ will." He paused. "See what that means, Sam? That means that _God_ doesn't want you doing this. So, are you just gonna stand there and tell me everything is _all_ good?"

After Dean's declaration, Sam's tearful eyes met his brother's. It stayed like that for a while, just them exchanging tearful looks until Sam broke the connection by looking down.

Not too long after, the sound of incessant ringing butchered the silence. It made Dean flinch.

Sam rummaged through his pocket, retrieved his cell, and answered it. "Hello?" He ran his hands over his eyes and then pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to collect himself.

"Hey, Travis. Yeah, hey."

"..."

"Uh..."

"..."

"It's good to hear your voice, too, yeah. Um, look, it's not a good time right now. It's-"

"..."

"No, I haven't seen the news...Yeah, okay. Uh, well, just give me the details, and, uh..."

"..."

"Missouri. Carthage, Missouri."

Sam scuffled passed Dean and toward the bedside table. He looked over the items on the desk and then reached for a pen and notepad. He began writing down the location.

"Looking for Jack Montgomery."

The brunette tossed the pen down and ended the call. He moved his gaze over to Dean, who just stood there silently. Sam went for his laptop, finding many videos and reports of a crater in Missouri.

"Uh...There was a magnitude 4.9 earthquake last night in Missouri. And there's a giant hole left by a 'meteor.'" Sam paused as he rewatched the video of the ball of fire plunging from the sky.

"Well, let's go." Dean answered simply.

The impala raced the stretch of the road, the light of the moon reflecting off of Baby's coat. The car ride had been mostly silent the way through, except for Dean telling Sam about his trip back to 1973. He left out the parts about him dreaming, feeling a weird connection with Ariel, and being able to see her wings. It was best kept it to himself. Now and then, he silently prayed to her.

The silence was too much for Sam, so he spoke up, "I can't believe it. _Mom-_ a hunter?"

Dean laughed a little, "I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't seen it myself. That woman could kick some _ass_. I mean, she almost took _me_ down."

"How'd she look? I mean... was she happy?" Sam smiled at the thought.

Dean's eyes held sadness as he thought about the way his mom used to be before she passed. His grip on the wheel tightened. "Yeah, she was awesome...funny and smart. So hopeful." He glanced at Sam. "Dad, too. Until, of course..."

Sam just let out a small sigh and watched the scenery outside.

"What?"

"Nothing-" Sam replied. "It's just- our parents. And now we find out our grandparents _too_? Our whole family murdered, and for _what_? So Yellow-eyes could get in my nursery and bleed in my mouth?"

Dean ran Sam's words through his mind, trying to find the error in that statement. He squinted his eyes and tilted his head once he realized he never told his brother about the demon blood.

The skeptic in him wanted him to confront his brother, but the hopeful part of him wanted to trust his brother. The former won. "Sam, I never said anything about demon blood."

Sam pulled his lower lip between his teeth and gnawed on the skin. He wore a guilty look.

"You knew about that?" Inside Dean wanted it to be false. He just wanted Sammy back, the Sam before all the demon stuff started.

The 26-year-old kept his eyes on the trees. "Yeah, for about a year."

Dean scoffed at the honesty and rolled his head to face the front windshield. "A whole year."

The guilt remained forever etched on Sam's face. "I should have told you...I'm sorry."

"You've been saying that a lot lately, Sam. But _whatever_. You don't want to tell me you don't have to. It's fine." Dean drawled.

"Dean..." Sam finally looked at his brother, expecting to meet his eyes, but he saw Dean was just now focused on the road. "Whatever." He sighed.

. . .

The night air was humid, the temperature around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The impala's windows were down to at least make it more refreshing, but it only made it hotter.

Dean stirred in his seat and stretched to remove his jacket and overshirt. He let out a hard sigh, "Man, it is hot." He whined. The humidity only made him more cranky. He thought maybe they should have gone to check out the crater first.

"Roll down your window." Sam sassed in the passenger seat with his window down and hair up off of his neck. It was a rare sight to see Sam's hair in a ponytail, but he guessed in this situation, he could make an exception.

Dean tinkered with the scope on the binoculars, zooming in on the light brown house. In the kitchen window, stood a man leaning on the counter and sipping a beer. He squinted at the sight. "Are you sure that's him?"

"Only Jack Montgomery in town." Sam clarified.

Dean turned his whole body to face the house, and his arm rested on the backrest of the bench seat. He sat down his binoculars to look at Sam. "And we're looking for..." He replied with sarcasm.

Sam raised a brow and chuckled, "Travis said to keep an eye out for anything weird."

"Weird."

"Yeah." Sam responded.

The 30-year-old raised his binoculars to eyes and studied the man in the window, still sitting and drinking beer. "All right, well, yeah, I've seen big weird, little weird with crazy on top. But this guy?" Dean lowered the binoculars. "I mean, come on, this guy's boring." He stared at Sam.

"I don't know, Dean. Travis seemed pretty sure." Sam returned, then raised his binoculars to his eyes. He peered through, studying Jack. It was like clockwork, in a matter of seconds, Sam and Dean watched Jack devour a carton of raw meat.

"Huh." Sam chuckled at the scene and lowered his binoculars. "I'd say that qualifies as weird." The brothers both shared a disgusted look.

. . .

"Hey," Sam nudged his brother's arm as they walked back to their motel room. He started, "Ariel after she saved me, have you seen her since then? Is she y'know...dead?" Sam didn't hold back with the questions. He had a feeling something happened between Ariel and Dean, who had a particular look on his face whenever he brought her up. Dean only made those faces twice in his life: once when Sam asked about Cassie and the other when he brought up Lisa.

Dean kept his eyes straight ahead as he went over the question in his mind. Should he tell him? No. That was his business. "No, haven't seen her." He gruffed and turned the corner with a little more speed. He just wanted to get back to the room and possibly do research.

"Right," Sam teased with a smug smile on his face. He watched Dean fumble with the keys angrily, his smile growing wider.

"Shut up." Dean snapped as he unlocked and opened the door. A smile danced across his face once he saw Travis sipping their beer. "Travis." He greeted. "See, Sam. Told you we should have hid the beer."

Travis exhaled as he took his last sip. He set the beer down and launched himself to his feet. The elder made his way to Sam and Dean with a smile planted on his face. "Smartass. Get over here!" He laughed with open arms and pulled Dean into a tight hug. "Ahh, Good to see you."

"You too," Dean said as he pulled away from the hug. He sported a giddy smile as he watched his younger brother hug the old friend.

"Good to see you," Travis said to Sam.

"You too, Travis." The 26-year-old returned.

Samuel pulled away from the man with an awkward laugh.

Travis gestured to Sam, "Man, you got tall, kid." That comment made the men laugh. "How long has it been?" He asked.

"Ah, gotta be ten years," Sam answered.

Travis nodded to the boy. "You still a...oh, what was it..." He snapped his fingers, the word on the tip of his tongue. "A mathlete?" He finished.

Sam just scoffed and shifted on his feet. "No."

Dean gave Sam a hard pat on the back and grinned at Travis. "Yep, sure is."

Sam glanced at Dean with an awkward smile as Travis began speaking. "Been too _long_ , boys. I mean, look at you--" Travis gestured to the both of them. "Grown men. John would have been damn proud of you... Sticking together like this."

Sam knew immediately that the last part would trigger Dean. He inhaled a considerable amount of air and pulled his lips into a thin line.

Exactly then, Dean spoke up. "Yeah. Yeah, we're as thick as thieves. " As Dean said that he fixed his eyes on Sam, watching his expression. "Nothing more important than family." His words had a double meaning.

Travis, oblivious to the tension, made his way over to the chair to sit. "Sorry, I'm late for the dance." Travis and Dean took seats at the table, leaving Sam to sit on the bed.

Travis leaned his good arm against the table and rubbed his fingertips together. "Thanks for helping out an old man. I'm a little, uh, shorthanded." He lifted his wrapped arm. The joke made the boys laugh. The elder glanced between the two brothers. "So, you track down Montgomery?"

"Yeah, we found him at his home." Sam began.

"And?"

Dean interjected. "Well, he had a hell of a case of the _munchies_. Topped off with a burger, he forgot to _cook_."

"That's him, all right," Travis confirmed.

Dean raised a brow at his conclusion. "What's him?"

"Boys, we got a rougarou on our hands." Travis informed.

Dean held back laughter at the name. He raised his brows and questioned Travis. "A rougarou?" He glanced at Sam to make sure he was thinking the same thing. "Is that made up?" Dean held back a smile as he looked at Travis. "That sounds made up."

Travis just grinned, "They're mean, nasty little suckers--rotted teeth, wormy skin, the works."

Dean furrowed his brows in confusion. That didn't sound or look like Jack. " _Well_ , That ain't this guy. I _mean_ , he was wearing a cellphone on his belt." He glanced at his brother and then back at Travis.

Travis looked at the boys, knowingly, "He'll turn ugly soon enough. They start out human, for all intents and purposes."

Sam caught on quick, "So, what? They go through some kind of metamorphosis?"

"Yep, like a maggot turning into a bull fly." Travis paused. "But most of all- they're hungry." Travis affirmed.

"Hungry for what?" Dean inquired.

"At first, for everything, but then...for long pig." Travis concluded.

Sam scoffed at his comment and shook his head. Dean looked at both of them and frowned, " _Long_ pig?"

"He means human flesh." Sam replied.

Dean sported a dorky smile. " _And,_ _that_ is my word of the day." He laughed.

Travis continued sharing what he knew about rougarou. "Hunger grows in, till they can't fight it. Till they got to take themselves a big, juicy chomp, and then it happens." He drawled.

"What happens?"

"They transform completely and fast. One bite's all it takes-- eyes, teeth, skin all turns. No going back, either." Travis took a long pause before speaking again. "They feed once, they're a monster forever. And our man Jack's headed there on a bullet train."

Dean pursed his lips at that information. "Well, how'd you find this guy if he's a walking, talking human?"

"Let's just say it runs in his family..." Travis murmured.

"You mean, uh..." Sam began but chose not to finish.

"Killed his daddy back in '78. Son of a bitch mangled eight bodies before I put him down. Guy used to be a dentist-- Cadillac, trophy wife... Little did I know, _pregnant_ trophy wife. She put the boy up for adoption. By the time I found out, he was long gone, lost in the system."

Sam arched a brow and smirked. "You mean to tell me _you_ couldn't find someone?"

A sad sigh came from Travis as he thought about tracking down Jack at that time. "I'm not sure I wanted to. The idea of hunting down some poor kid..." Travis paused and glanced at Dean, who was looking down deep in thought. Travis resumed, "I don't think I'd have the heart. _No_. I wanted to wait, make damn sure I had the right man. Apparently, I do."

_Sam went out for research._

A loud thud came from across the room. With their hunter instincts, Travis and Dean reached for their guns and aimed it from where the noise originated. Dean put out a hand, signaling Travis to wait as he investigated the sound.

A mop of red hair came up from between beds, followed by a bloodied grimace with slices on it.

It was Ariel.

Blood seeped from the thousands of cuts on her stripped body. She dipped in and out of consciousness. The ginger tried her best to steady herself by using the bed as support.

"Dean.." Ariel whimpered softly before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and her knees buckled, sending a jolt of pain through her nervous system.

Dean abandoned his gun almost instantaneously and dived for the archangel. He caught her just before she hit the floor.

He hauled her into his arms and sat on the bed with her form limp between his legs. It was a lewd position, but at this moment, Dean cared little about that. The human gingerly caressed her bloodied face, smoothing down her hair in the process.

"Oh, Red..." He whispered sadly. Dean felt like it was his fault. He should have immediately gone to help her. His eyes roamed every part of her naked form, not to be a pervert but to see if she had any significant injuries. 'Fallen' was freshly carved deep on her collar bone, along with many other deep cuts. One particular injury stood out; it was a symbol cut deep into her thigh. It looked self-inflicted.

Why wasn't she healing? Dean remembered when he stabbed her, and she recovered from that almost immediately. So, what could be preventing her?

Dean never tore his eyes away from her as he removed his navy-blue flannel with the notion of covering her up. Dean carefully lifted her arm, which resulted in a small moan from Ariel, but he proceeded. He slid her arm into the sleeves of the flannel and closed it momentarily.

Her savior let out a low grunt as he tossed her arm over his shoulder, then lifted her into the bridal position. He gently lowered her on his bed and began buttoning the shirt; It stopped at her mid-thigh. Dean let out a hard sigh but never looked away from her.

" _What_ the hell?!" Travis exclaimed as he still has his gun trained on the motionless woman. "What just happened?" He gruffed.

"Focus on the case." Dean replied shortly as he delicately sat on the edge of his bed, still watching Ariel.

Travis scoffed and squeezed his gun. "You tell me what the hell she is, or I'll shoot her myself." He drawled.

Dean finally looked away from the archangel on the bed to look at Travis. He had a calm smile on his lips, but it never reached his eyes. The righteous man pushed himself off the bed and slowly stepped to the man who just threatened a defenseless woman.

"If you _touch_ her or so happen to even _look_ at her. You'll be dead before you hit the ground. You understand me?" Dean sneered at the man standing in front of him.

Travis squinted his eyes, challenging Dean, which resulted in Dean snatching the gun away and aiming it at Travis's forehead.

"Focus on the case." Dean commanded, and begrudgingly sat at the table. He picked up his gas can and resumed his work.

. . .

Dean watched Ariel's chest rise and fall as he sat tinkering with the gas can nozzle, deep in thought. She looked peaceful but also plagued with sorrow. Occasionally a low groan came from her, and of course, Dean immediately paused what he was doing to examine her.

Travis was the one to speak first. " _It_ must be important to you...threatening me like that." His eyes darted from the gas can, nozzle to Dean's stoic face.

That comment made Dean frown. Ariel was not an _It_. She was an archangel. Dean reached for the flamethrower and flicked it on, then waved the flame over the nozzle. "So, fire, huh?"

"The only way I found to kill these bastards; deep-fry 'em." Travis peeped at Dean.

Dean clutched the rag on the table and wiped off the nozzle as he spoke. "Well, that's gonna be... _horrible_. Is that what you did to Jack's dad?"

"Uh-huh-"

Their talk was cut short by the sound of the doorknob twisting. As Sam entered, his gaze immediately fell on the unmoving woman, but he chose not to mention it. His grip tightened on the papers in his hand, and he closed the door.

"Not wasting any time, are you?" Sam was belaboring the obvious.

"None to waste." Travis gruffed. "The guy hulks out, we won't be finding bodies, just remains."

Sam sat down on the bed Ariel was resting on, immediately catching Dean's attention. Dean eyed him carefully, his hands still working on the can. Sam noticed this and held his hands up toward his brother, who seemed way to protective for someone who only talked to the angel twice.

"He's been that way since that _thing_ just appeared out of nowhere. Won't tell me what it is." Travis drawled.

Sam furrowed his brows and looked to his brother, who donned a stoic expression. He watched his brother's jaw clench at the words 'thing' and 'it,' bothered.

Sam took that into account. "What if he doesn't hulk out? I did a little homework. Uh, I've been checking out the lore on rougarous."

Travis took this as an insult. "What? My 30 years of experience not good enough for you?" The aged hunter lifted a cup of coffee to his lips and sipped while eyeing Sam.

"What?" Samuel chuckled. "No. No, I- I just wanted to be prepared. I mean, not that you didn't..." 

Dean picked up on his brother's uneasiness. "Sam loves research." He joked. "He does. He keeps it under his mattress right next to his KY. It's a sickness." He flashed a smile at his younger brother. "It is."

Sam just shook his head. "Look, everything you said checked out, of course, but uh. I found a couple of _interesting_ stories about people who have this rougarou gene or whatever. See, they start to turn, but they never take the final step."

"Really?" Dean questioned.

This reaction made Sam continue. "See, if they never eat human flesh, they don't fully _transform_."

"So what? Go vegan, stay human?" Dean seemed genuinely interested in not deep-frying a person.

Sam appeared hopeful. "Basically, or in this case, eat a lot of raw meat, just not--"

"Long pig." Dean ended with a dorky grin. He glanced over to Travis, who was just listening to the conversation.

"Good on you for the due diligence, Sam." Travis derided as he stood to his feet and continued. "But those are fairytales." He drawled while shuffling over to the kitchenette and pouring himself another cup of coffee. Travis pivoted on his heel and faced the boys. "Fact is," He sipped his coffee and resumed. "Every rougarou I ever saw or heard of...took that bite."

Sam immediately took a defensive stance and stood to his feet. "Okay, well, that doesn't mean that Jack will."

Dean's olive eyes darted between the two as he also stood. He could sense an argument brewing.

Travis sipped his coffee. "So what do we do? Sit and hope and wait for a body count?" He jeered.

"No, we talk to him. Explain what's happening. That way, he can _fight_ it." Sam confuted.

"Fight it?" Travis laughed at the notion. "Are you kidding me? You ever been really hungry?"

Dean hadn't been paying much attention to the debate, but once Travis asked that question, he was all ears. He gripped the papers in his hands and looked up at the man.

"I mean, haven't-eaten-in-days hungry?" Travis added.

"Yeah." Dean replied quickly.

Travis took this as an opportunity to continue. "Yeah, right then. So somebody slaps a big, juicy, sirloin in front of you, you walking away?"

Dean thought for a moment at the scenario and then raised his brows as he turned to face Sam, who worn an upset expression.

"That's what we are to him now, meat on legs. I'm sorry. I'm sure he's a stand-up guy, but it's pure base instinct. Everything in nature's gotta eat. You think he can stop himself 'cause he's nice?" Travis drawled.

Sam's serious expression never wavered as he stared Travis dead in the eye as he spoke slow and precise. "I don't know. But we're not gonna _kill_ him unless he does something to get killed _for_." Once he finished, he could barely keep a steady breath. He had to excuse himself from the room.

Dean and Travis exchanged looks of awe and confusion.

"What's wrong with your brother?" Travis questioned.

"Don't get me started." Dean just rolled his eyes and turned to go sit down by Ariel.

_Ariel's hunting outfit_

Before they left, Dean carried the woman to the bathroom and started the bath. At some point, he messaged Sam to tell him to pick up some clothes for Ariel.

Eventually, the angel stirred awake.

Dean leaned against the wall in front of the sink, his gaze fixed on her cloudy eyes. It was like someone had sucked the joy out of her.

"Hey," Ariel breathed.

Dean smiled faintly. "Wanna tell me why you fought a cheese grater and lost?"

The archangel looked to the man in confusion. "I didn't _fight_ a cheese grater. Half of my grace was extracted, and then I was tortured for a day." Ariel murmured, pain apparent in her voice. She perched herself on the sink, her feet dangling inches above the floor like a small child.

"Anything we should worry about? No one's following you or anything?" Dean questioned.

"Nothing to worry about." She lied.

The atmosphere in the bathroom bounced between sexual tension and awkwardness. It had been a couple days since Dean actually saw Ariel with his own eyes, not including their dream encounters. He stared at the defeated woman and contemplated if he should hug her not. They never hugged before.

"You're a horrible a liar, Y'know that?" Dean chuckled and pushed himself from the wall and closer to the redhead.

"I am not, trust me." Ariel mumbled as she averted her eyes toward the door. "Where's Sam?"

Her attempt to evade the topic did not go unnoticed by Dean. He raised a brow at her question and decided not to answer it and instead pose his own question. "Why were you naked?"

Ariel scoffed and looked down at the flannel she was now wearing. "Was my nude figure making you uncomfortable, human? My _captor_ felt it was necessary." She put hard emphasis on the word captor.

Dean grew silent as he thought about his own time in hell, being tortured, and having to live through the pain of being torn apart and put together again. His body stilled, and his breathing shortened. He couldn't help it, disassociating himself and caving in.

"I know," Ariel whispered softly to the panic induced hunter. Her voice felt like warm blankets you first take out of the dryer on a cold winter day. He could listen to her talk for hours and not get sick of it. A buzzing behind his ears pulled him out of his deep thoughts.

"Know what?" He gruffed, trying his best to keep on his hard exterior facade. Of course, Dean knew exactly what she was referring to, but he just wasn't ready to think about hell. He felt better pretending it didn't happen was much better than admitting it and it being true.

"About what happened in Hell..." She answered simply. Ariel held out her hand for him to take, but he pushed it away. He held a stoic expression on his face. "Dean," Ariel cooed, attempting to comfort him best she could from a distance.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Dean choked out, keeping his eyes on his own reflection behind her head. How much did she know, and if she knew, then why did he deserve to be saved?

Ariel observed his body language, he was panicking. His hard expression, the clenched jaw, and his eyes screaming help. "You remind me of someone I knew long ago...When I visited earth. He and his brother were plagued with many problems just like you." The angel's eyes looked off into the distance as she reminisced about old times. "He was a gentle soul...but then darkness overwhelmed him. He was no longer the man, I knew." She added.

Dean furrowed his brows and finally looked her in the eyes when he addressed her. "Did you try and save him too?"

That question made Ariel smile. "Yes...but he pushed me away."

Dean folded his arms over his chest and gave her a slight nod. He stored this information deep in his brain, perhaps it would be needed at a much later date. "What was his name?"

"Cain." She mumbled.

The green-eyed beauty pursed his lips. "Wow, you must be very old."

Ariel snorted at his observation. "Yes, well, I was made after creation." She teased.

Dean's eyes lit up as her laughter filled the air, cutting through the tension that remained. If he could make her laugh all the time, he would. "Well, I should get out of your hair."

"Oh, yeah, okay." To be honest, She really didn't want him to leave, but she knew that if he watched her bathe, erotic human things would ensue. "Could you help me down from the sink?" 

Fuck. Dean was 100% sure he wasn't ready to touch her or make any kind of physical contact. The constant buzzing in his ears urged him to make contact with her any way possible, but he was stubborn and skeptic. Fuck it. The hunter slowly advanced toward the injured angel and hesitantly held out his hands.

"You remind me so much of them..." Ariel whispered as her fingertips grazed his jawline. It was apparent Dean had no idea who she was referring to, but that didn't matter. She shut her eyes once Dean nestled himself between her legs. Ariel furrowed her eyebrows as the heat pooled between her legs, and a tight sensation filled her stomach.

She had no idea her vessel would react in such a way, she was never on earth long enough to feel the intense passion humans shared.

Dean parted his lips and withdrew a sharp breath as his fingers finally grazed over her thigh. The hunter's calloused fingers clasped around the woman's hips, digging into the skin. He almost forgot that she didn't have anything on under the shirt, he cursed himself.

The buzzing grew crescendoed behind their ears, the closer they became.

Dean squeezed the angel's hips as he pulled her close to him. It was almost instinctive for her to wrap her legs around his waist. Ariel pressed herself to the human, tossing her arms over his shoulders and pulling his face to hers.

"Dean?" A voice came from outside the bathroom. Dean stumbled back and finally let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. They could never become one no matter how hard they tried, which infuriated him. Dean cleared his throat and hurriedly left the space.

. . .

When Sam came back to the motel, finding Travis alone and sitting at the table with a suspicious look on his face. "Dean?"

The hazel-eyed hunter could hear a small thud emanate from behind the bathroom door. The sound made his head whip over to the door. His brother wasn't doing anything he shouldn't; he was just helping her, right? Sam unpacked the shopping bag.

Dean exited the bathroom with a flustered expression. "Ariel is- uh, awake now.." He mumbled to Sam before hustling over to the kitchenette and gulping down the rest of his beer.

Sam's eyes darted over to the bathroom door as a tiny figure emerged. Her minor injuries vanished, except for the large 'Fallen.' Seeing that word on her made him angry, and he swore to himself that whoever was the culprit would wish they were dead sooner. No one should be treated that way.

Ariel bestowed a grimace expression as her eyes examined the three men. She said nothing as she took the clothes and undergarments from Sam.

After twenty minutes had passed, Ariel stepped from the lavatory. Her hair was messy and pushed back; the ends also flipped to reflect a 70s hairstyle. She sported a tan, corduroy jacket over a black long-sleeved shirt. On her lower half, a pair of snug-fit, bell-bottomed, denim jeans accompanied by heeled, dark-brown, combat boots. She made sure to tuck in her shirt; it seemed to look better on her curvaceous physique.

All eyes were on her.

Dean jealously cleared his throat, "Alright, let's roll."

_After Dean and Sam settled their dispute on the side of the road and Ariel, awkwardly third-wheeling it, they pulled up to Jack's home._

"Jack Montgomery?" A masculine voice came from behind Jack.

Jack stood in his backyard with the hose in his hand, watering the plants. With his back turned, Jack looked lively, but once the trio saw his face, they knew he was feeling out of it.

There were two men and a small woman standing between them. She also seemed pretty spaced out. The rougarou faced away from them after the little acknowledgment.

"I'm Sam Winchester. This is my brother, Dean...and This is Ariel." Sam gestured between the three of them, and when he got to Ariel, he gave her a small pat on the head, which made her cringe.

This action didn't go overlooked by Dean, but he chose to ignore it because she wasn't anyone special, and he wasn't relationship material.

The angel just observed the two men with her hands resting at her sides. She already knew the end of this situation, but she still wanted the boys to choose for their own. Outcomes were already unraveling in her head, and she wasn't sure if she should even tell the boys about the plan. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sam's husky voice. She decided not to, it wasn't the right time.

"We need to talk." The tall hunter stated in a firm but compassionate voice.

Jack finally whirled around to face the hunter who was walking forward and leaving Ariel and Dean standing in the far background. He glanced over at two and then back to Sam. "About?"

Dean tuned out Jack and Sam's conversation and solely focused on Ariel, who was evading every kind of contact there was after their bathroom situation. Maybe he should distance himself also.

A loud 'ahem' pulled him back down to earth.

"You're probably feeling your bones move under your skin. And your appetite's reaching, you know, 'Hungry hungry hippo' levels. How am I doing so far?" Dean adjusted himself and stepped to his brother and the man. He had an unreadable expression, but the annoyance in his voice told them that he didn't want to leave Ariel's side.

Jack was taken aback by Dean's forwardness. How could these strangers know all this stuff happening to him, and what does it mean? "Who the hell are you guys?"

"We're people who know a little something about something." Dean replied blankly as he casually shoved his hands in his jean pockets.

Sam pursed his lips at his brother's vague answer. "We're people who can help. Please, Just hear us out?" He corrected.

Jack hesitated. "Okay..."

Ariel roamed the garden, the square heels of her boots digging into the wet grass as she inspected the hedge bushes. They were cut in a particular oblong shape with a pointed tip. Staring at the plants offered her no solace, her mind ran rampant with the many slurs Raphael used to break her.

Though she was tortured for only a day, it wasn't the pain that broke her spirit. It was the lack of free will and control over the several millenniums that made her break down. She never thought escape would even be possible with Raphael always looming and dragging his blade across her skin. The fear of dying had never been so prominent for her. She was lucky when another Angel disobeyed, and Raphael was distracted by Angel radio. When he turned his back, she drew a banishing symbol.

Having her grace sucked out of her, traumatized her in ways that some couldn't even imagine. They never did this to Lucifer; they just tossed him out of heaven and put him in a cage. It felt almost violating, regardless if it would replenish itself; It left a mental impression.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Instinctively, her eyes lit up. It was her only way of fending off whoever chose to sneak up on her. She promptly spun around and reached for the culprit's throat.

It was Dean.

"Woah, Woah. Okay!" The jaded hunter caught her hand and held it in his, tenderly. He subtly caressed her palm with his thumb and flashed her a wary smile. "C'mon, feathers. Time to go quickly." He wrapped his other hand around her wrist and pulled her toward the gate while frequently looking over his shoulder.

Sam hastily exited the garden and climbed into the running impala. "Feathers?" He laughed and put on his seat belt.

Ariel's voice cut over Sam's laughter. It was soft and enchanting. "It's not like I call you legs 'cause they're shaped funny? Don't call me feathers."

Sam started. "Legs actually sounds like an appropriate nickname-"

Dean immediately cut his brother off. "Alright, let's get some food and then stake out!" He clapped his hands together and turned up the music. "And they are not shaped funny." He added.

Sam just laughed over the music and carded his fingers through his chestnut hair.

. . .

The trio was seated at a table in Biggerson's. Ariel sat across from Dean, and Sam sat adjacent.

"So, That is coffee, and sometimes sugar helps make it less bitter." Sam reached for the can of sugar and slid it over to the angel.

Ariel grasped the sides of the mug and brought the cup to her lips. She never once tried any of the human inventions, she didn't need to, but to blend in, she had to. Her eyes widened as the bitter hot liquid touched the tip of her tongue. She coughed and quickly placed the china down and dumped a significant amount of sugar into the cup.

"Ariel-" Dean started with a chuckle as he watched her sweeten her coffee, but soon the sugar to coffee ratio would be too much, so he snatched the canister away and placed it on an empty table.

"What? It was gross." She cooed as she looked between Sam and Dean, who were just holding back their laughter. They shared similar expressions, one someone would make when looking at a toddler or small child. Is that how they saw her? She was billions upon billions of years older, how dare they.

Sam cleared his throat and leaned forward with his elbows perched on the table. "So, Ariel...Did you know?" The mood instantly plummeted by that question. Should she say all of heaven knew? That would only kill his spirit that every angel knew who Sam and Dean Winchester were.

"I did, I know a lot of things that happen or is going to happen. But different choices branch off, and that's when things get murky." Ariel replied shortly. She and Dean made eye contact once she revealed this information. She brought the mug to her lips, her gaze still on the older hunter. 

"Wait, so you _knew_ , but you didn't say anything to me?" Dean mumbled. His tone was accusatory as if Ariel was the offending one. "Why would you not tell me something like that? That comes before everything else."

" I _am_ here to help lead you both to redemption. So, Don't you _dare_ take that tone with me, because I saved your brother when I was the one who would be tasked with _'stopping'_ him." Ariel spit fired.

"Well, I had to find out from Constantine that my brother was ganking demons with a demon, which I _actually_ thought was dead!" Dean countered. He narrowed his eyes at the offending angel, letting his anger take control of his mouth once again.

The enraged hunter leaned into the table and clenched his jaw. "And stop him? Not only did you forget to tell me he was hanging with Ruby and using his powers, but YOU; _You_ were supposed to kill him?!" He tried to keep his voice down best he could, but the word kill grasped a waitress's attention.

"I'm sorry, did you miss the part where I _risked_ my life for you and your stupid brother?! I _fell_ for you, Dean, in so many ways you cannot even fathom, you incompetent human being." Ariel lamented. The sound of her voice breaking tore Sam out of deep thought.

"Well- No one asked you to, and I sure as hell didn't ask you to fall either. Y'know, I knew you were _too_ good to be true. No one would just _waltz_ into our lives, offering help just for the sake of doing good." Dean drawled with a stoic expression.

The lights in the restaurant began flickering, and her mug cracked down the middle.

Those words sent a pang through her vessel's heart.

"Ariel- you have to calm down!" Sam whisper shouted as he glanced around at everyone who just gawked at the ceiling in confusion.

Ariel fixed her doe-eyes on Sam, but his words did not compute. Tears began filling her eyes and falling in rivulets down her pink cheeks.

 _'Damnit,'_ Dean thought. _'She looked pretty when she cried.'_

"Y'know, you are just like _him_. And when one of you end up dying, do not expect me to come running just because you _prayed_." She whispered before pushing herself up from the booth and making her way to the exit.

With each clack of Ariel's heels hitting the tiled floor, it sent a pang of regret through Dean's heart. When the door slammed close, Dean flinched.

Sam scoffed. "You're _unbelievable_. She risked her own life to help us, Dean." He scolded him. "What is wrong with you, Dean?" The tall hunter asked in a spiteful tone.

"Yeah, Well, No one asked her to." Dean ignored Sam's questions. Shortly after he had processed what he said, he regretted everything. He wanted to go after her, pull her into a hug, and possibly stay like that for a while. "It's getting late. I'm gonna hit the can, and then we can go."

"Whatever." Sam just scoffed at his asshole of a brother and got up from the table and left the restaurant.

This reaction prompted Dean to just hurry to the bathroom. Once inside, he checked to see if anyone might be using it, then he locked the door when he found no one. He hunkered over the ceramic sink. The troubled hunter let out a breath.

Dean just wanted control, but he lost that long ago when he was just a boy. He struggled to maintain his composure as he recollected how he treated Ariel when all she wanted to do was help him. He was just so angry, and he had no idea how to control it. And the longer he stood in front of the mirror, the more he wanted to thrust his head straight through the glass.

She not only told him hours before that someone she cared about did the same but that he reminded her of him. He could barely hold it together. Was it a good thing that he reminded her of that guy or a bad thing? And why him? What's so great about him?

A portion of him wanted to pray to the archangel, but the stubborn side took ahold of the wheel and told him not to and that what he said to her was reasonable. He tore himself away from his reflection and shuffled over to the door to unlock it.

. . .

_Later that night, Dean and Sam tracked down Jack back to his house and found what was left of Travis. Jack attacked them, effectively knocking out both of them. Ariel nowhere to be seen._

Sam awoke from his comatose state with a faint gasp. It took him a moment to grasp his surroundings and remember where he was. He panicked once he realized his brother was nowhere to be found. He pushed himself to his feet and tried the door handle, but it was locked. "Dean?"

"Dean can't come to the phone right now." Jack muttered as he swayed back and forth.

That response enraged Sam. He just got his brother back, and he couldn't lose him now, not when there's so much more left to fight. Samuel slammed his hand against the door. "Jack! If you hurt him, I swear to God!" He bellowed as he banged his hand against the wood again.

Jack sniffled and swayed harder. "Calm down!" He looked over at Dean, who was knocked out and sprawled over the coffee table with a wound on to his head. "Your brother's alive." He added.

The rougarou's head whipped around at the closet door, "But not if you don't calm down!" He asserted.

This note made Sam relax, as long as Dean was alive- there was a chance he could wake up. Sam shut his eyes and pressed his forehead against the door, his breathing labored.

Sam pressed his hand against the door and let out a low exhaled. "Alright, Jack. Listen. Open the door. We can figure this out, okay?" He tried to reason.

Jack let out a hysterical laugh. "We'll have ourselves a little _brainstorming_ session."

"Jack, please." Sam begged.

"I don't think so, after what you did." Jack uttered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Sam figured it would be a while until he was let out of the closet, so he began searching his pockets for anything to pick the lock.

"You send your friend here. He tried to burn my wife alive!" Jack's voice began breaking as his body slowly morphed.

Sam halted his search at that accusation. "What? Why?" He looked around the closet for anything pointy and found a metal hanger, grabbing it.

There was a long pause.

Jack tilted his head to the side. "He didn't say." He glanced over at Dean, who was still unconscious. "I guess psychopaths don't have to explain themselves." Jack sneered and crawled toward his limp body. All of a sudden, Dean's blood looked delightful.

Samuel kept his head to the door as he spoke."Listen to me. You gotta believe me. My brother and I, we never would have hurt her, okay?" He quickly unraveled the metal hanger and reformed it so he could pick the lock.

Jack stopped by Dean's face, and with a wavering hand, he dipped his fingers in the little pool of blood that formed by Dean's head. He tried fighting it, but there was no use. The monster raised his blood-soaked digits to his lips and licked his fingers dry. "Oh, God. I'm so hungry." He began rocking back and forth, contemplating.

"Jack, don't do this." The hunter knelt and attempted to pick the lock.

"I can't ever see my family again." Jack paused. "You two...your friend--you made me into this!" He roared.

"No one's making you kill us." Sam began working the lock, struggling to get the door open. He feels overall defeated and lowers his hand. He needed to stall. "Listen to me." The trapped hunter began to sympathize with closed eyes. "You got this dark pit inside. I know. Believe me, I know." Sam opened his eyes and began picking the lock again. "But that doesn't mean you have to fall into it. You don't have to be a monster."

Sam only heard a mocking laugh come from Jack before he began talking. "Have you seen me lately?"

The hazel-eyed hunter let out a low sigh as he gave it one last try. "It doesn't matter what you _are_." He took a long pause. "It only matters what you _do_. It's your choice." Sam felt like he would never get out in time, so he desperately prayed to Ariel. _"Ariel, I don't know where you are or if you are even listening, but we need you..."_

Jack stilled for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. The pain of restraining himself began to wear him down. He groaned and opened his mouth wide and inched toward Dean. He restrained himself best he could, but now he was ravenous. Dean began stirring awake, moving only slightly. The rougarou's mouth only inches away from Dean's neck before a high pitched ringing overcame the silence, followed by the closet door slamming open behind Jack.

"Bad Jackie." Ariel quipped with her shoulders, rolled back as a blinding light filled the room, and her wings projected on the wall.

Sam came bursting in with the makeshift flamethrower at the ready, but his eyes landed on the Archangel. She came.

Jack stumbled back from Dean as he witnessed the angel asserting her dominance and vigor. She was intimidating, but that didn't dissuade Jack from getting up to fight. The monster pushed himself to his feet and lunged for the woman.

Ariel took a hefty step forward and connecting her right knee to the monster's jaw, sending him collapsing to the floor with a broken jaw. She beamed.

The loud commotion awoke Dean completely. He rolled off the table, his mouth and eyes wide with panic and confusion. Why would she come to save them after what he said? He wanted to question it so badly, but he just accepted it. Dean never looked away from her outstretched wings; they were so beautiful.

Sam watched with wide eyes and labored breathing. It was very intense for him, witnessing Ariel fight for the. Jack was no competition for her, even on a bad day, and it made Sam feel secure and safe.

"Godspeed." Ariel cooed. Her eyes lit up with grace, causing Jack's eyes and mouth filled with a white-hot light, and then soon, his whole body caught fire.

Dean looked to Ariel and then Sam, who sported a disappointed look as he watched the monster crumple to the ground. He swallowed hard. "Ariel, you came." Sam breathed.

"Well, you prayed." Ariel cooed softly and put out a hand for Dean to grab.

"Thanks ..." Sam smiled wanly.

"Let's go, Legs." She added with a smile.

The surly hunter glanced over at Sam, who just had a tired smile. "Why did you pray?" Dean gruffed and stood by himself. He ignored her.

Sam sighed. "You were about to be eaten, Dean."

"Dean," Ariel started with a step toward the stubborn hunter. "Don't pretend to hate me cause I made an honest mistake. I didn't want to scare you."

Dean curled and uncurled his fingers as he listened to her words. "No, something like that isn't a mistake. Lying isn't a mistake, you made that choice."

The redhead took a wary step back. "Can you for once get your head out of your ass, It is not a hat!" She uttered.

"Fuck you." Dean shouted and stepped to the offending angel. His chest fluctuated as he glared down at Ariel, who returned his gaze.

"Fuck me? Fuck you! It's not my fault you can't handle the truth!" Ariel argued.

"The truth?! You have no right to talk about truths! All you did was lie to me." Dean huffed, taking another step closer.

They were now three feet apart.

"Lie to you?! Dean Winchester, you are the God of lying! Your whole life, you conned and stole. I decided to not tell you that Sam is hanging with a demon and that my job as an archangel would be to kill Samuel if he went dark side for your benefit!" Ariel stomped her foot down to put emphasis on the word benefit. She continued, "You just came back from Hell, you discovered Angels were real, you went back in time and witnessed so much death. Why in the _world_ would I want to add to that?"

"I never asked for any of this! I have been taking care of me and Sammy my whole life, you do not get to waltz in here with your _pretty_ red wings and decide what's good for us. I don't care _how_ old you are." The angered hunter closed the three-foot gap between them and gestured to himself and the door where Sam should have been standing.

The only word that Ariel picked up was Red. "Red?" She questioned with a shaky breath. "You can see my wings?" Her eyes were wide.

Dean remained silent once he realized he let slip that he can see her wings. He wanted to apologize, but something prevented him from articulating. The way she asked him and how her eyelashes fluttered every time she looked away made his blood pump faster. It took him a moment for him to realize that she had expected an answer. Was he supposed to talk now? Fuck. 

"I'm sorry..." Ariel whispered in an oppressive tone. She fixed her gaze on the broken man in front of her.

The righteous man withdrew sharp breaths threw his teeth. He parted his lips in an attempt to apologize, but only nonsense came out. "I- You know-"

The woman tentatively raised her fingers to his cheek. "You're sorry?" She palpitated as she crept closer to his front.

Dean felt inclined to lean into her touch, shutting his eyes, and gave her a slight nod. It was the first time she actively tried to touch him since he dreamt, and the sensation was intoxicating.

"I'm sorry. I just get so angry...I don't know why." He choked out, licking his lips to prevent them from drying. His eyes wandered down her face to her fleshy pink lips. It was tempting, and there would be nothing to drag them apart now. Dean raised both shaky hands to her head and clutched both sides of her face.

Ariel's sapphire orbs bounced between Dean's eyes and lips. "I didn't mean to call you an asshat or lie to you. I should have told you-" She whispered in a quivery tone.

"You talk too much." Dean growled as he hastily yanked Ariel into a deep, heartfelt kiss. He nearly knocked her over with the amount of force he exerted.

The buzzing started again.

Once their mouths united, a surge of exaltation billowed through Ariel's body. The man squeezed her face, afraid she might disappear at any given moment.

Dean furrowed his brows as his teeth nibbled at her bottom lip. His tongue danced wildly behind his teeth; he could not wait any longer. The jaded man attacked her neck, pressing wet sloppy kisses against her feverish skin.

The pushing and pulling overwhelmed the vessel, the coil wounding up and tightening as heat pooled between Ariel's legs. She tossed her arms over Dean's shoulders and raked her nails across his nape. She wanted the buzzing to stop. They needed to be one.

They almost forgot there was a burning man on the floor until Sam rushed into the house and cleared his throat. "Sorry to interrupt. But we gotta go." Sam affirmed.

The two tore apart almost immediately. Ariel worked her fingers through her tangled hair and looked to Sam with lust blown eyes and swollen lips. She cleared her throat and fixed her jacket collar.

"Right." Dean huffed and speedily left for the exit.

. . .

_Baby pulled off into the sunrise._


	6. It's the Great Pumpkin, Sam Winchester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: The brothers and Ariel deduce a witch is sacrificing people to summon a dangerous demon. Dean struggles with the consequences of Ariel's behavior.
> 
> Warning(s): Heavy Angst, MAJOR Character Death, Fluff (if you squint), Typical SUPERNATURAL Violence, Mild Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This episode will focus heavily on Ariel's POV. It is still in 3rd person but centered around her experiences. So it won't involve much of the episode besides the parts i find crucial. Please feel free to leave feedback. 
> 
> Word count: 7,274

_IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, SAM WINCHESTER_

It was a blithe morning, many humans going for their scheduled A.M. jogs and walking their domestic animals. Even on their toughest days, humans never gave up, and those that did went to a better place. 

Humans are to be cherished. 

_One Day Before Halloween_

Ariel laid flat against the made motel bed, gazing up at the dull periwinkle ceiling. She felt like a pet being kept in a cage and that cage being the motel room. It wasn't every hunt that she had to stay inside, but now that things were getting more difficult for her to discern what was good and evil without it being obvious, Sam kept her in the motel room. 

Dean sort of questioned her odd behavior, but their conversations never went past that. Since her and Sam's vacation day, Dean has been even more distant and troubled to the point to where he might stay out for the night. 

Some days Ariel would go out and stay away for days at a time, hiding in her own little paradise she created in the middle of nowhere. She felt like an outlier, and Sam always tried his best to help her feel welcomed and appreciated, but it was never enough to satiate her need.

After a while, it seemed as though Sam stopped trying, or maybe Dean had said something to him. Ariel never asked about it, and she never tried reading their minds. 

She felt alone. 

She _was_ alone. Essentially now, second of the Fallen, although many other angels fell after Lucifer, it was different when an Archangel fell. It meant that maybe something was wrong with Heaven.

Time would tell.

"I _hate_ that we are one," Ariel muttered, praying to Lucifer, who may or may not be listening. "I _hate_ me..." She added.

The archangel teleported off the bed and appeared in the alley beside a busy cafe. She wandered down the pathway and turned to her right to find an older woman struggling with her coffee and bags. 

"Hello," Ariel waved with a bright smile. "Let me help you." The celestial being gently snatched the coffee from the human's hands and pulled out a seat for her in the open dining area. 

"Well, thank you, sweetheart." The elderly woman appreciated the angel and sat in the chair. "Here, why don't you sit with me?" She added. 

Ariel shook her head, a wan smile dancing across her lips. It was hard to resist the want to sit and chat, but she needed to go back to the motel.

Sam had been praying to her.

His tone was a mix between worry and fear, and sometimes the two can be confused. 

"I'm sorry I have to go..." Ariel murmured. 

The angel briskly walked away from the area and vanished into the alley before teleporting back to the motel to a placid Sam and an angry Dean.

"Where the hell have you been?" Dean shot out questions but never allowed Ariel to answer. "Sam has prayed to you at least twice, and you can't just go out like that- Someone could have snatched you _._ "

Ariel retreated, taking a few steps back from the agitated hunter. Her eyes were wide. She never really experienced a complete 'Dean Winchester' scolding, so witnessing this made her shut down. 

The anger in his voice combated the worry in his eyes. His conflicting emotions overwhelmed the archangel, sending her in a spiral. 

"I'm not some hamster in a cage. I am not your pet." Ariel huffed, clenching her hands into tiny fists. Her icy blue eyes met Dean's flaming green orbs, inviting him to say anything further. 

Dean folded his arms across his chest, "Either you stay inside when we tell you to, or you leave. No use taking up space anyways." He barked. His mouth set in a hard line as he thought about the ultimatum he just presented to someone he cared about so profoundly. 

What was he thinking? Why did he say that to her?

The man's eyebrows drew together in a scowl, which wasn't the emotion he meant to display. He intended to show regret for saying those things to her, but something didn't agree between his brain and body. 

It got lost in translation.

Ariel's mouth snapped shut at his response. Instead of the usual anger that she felt during most arguments, all she felt at the moment was an immense sadness. It clouded her mind and prevented her from speaking, so all that she _could_ do was cry. 

Her eyebrows knitted while her eyelashes fluttered, trying to keep the tears at bay, but failed. The tears fell down her roseate cheeks in streams, trailing down her chin and dropping onto her clavicle.

The angel smoothed down her pale sundress and turned around slowly. "Excuse me," She whispered through a strangled sob before she briskly walked to the bathroom and shut the door. 

Ariel pressed her back against the door and slid down to the floor and began to sob silently. It was uncontrollable, and her vessel was so sensitive, everything bothered her. 

Maybe she should give up?

Dean stilled at the sound of her weepings and eyed his boots. Fuck. What has he done? Why was this more complicated than it should be? He wanted to kick the door in and squeeze her tight, but his heels were dug into the cheap motel carpet. 

The human clenched his fist and pivoted on his heel, starting for the door. 

"Where are you going? You can't leave. We've got research." Sam gestured to the many books on the small table and his laptop. He didn't want to get in the middle of their domestic dispute. He knew Ariel was breaking, yet he still kept his distance. 

The giant glanced over at the bathroom door.

Dean unlocked the door and started to leave but decided against it. He faced Sam. "What do I say, Sammy?" He asked, his face stoic, but his voice somber. It was clear he didn't mean what he said and that Ariel was right; she shouldn't be caged. 

The troubled hunter frowned, "Why won't she _talk_ to me anymore?" Dean gruffed.

Sam thumbed the charging port on his laptop, thinking back to what his Archangel friend told him. His face contorted at the memories. "She said the seals being broken was breaking her, making her more hostile. She probably feels alone now, more than ever." 

There was a small pause. 

Dean gripped the doorknob.

"I mean, Dean, She lost her home- she's lost her family- she's losing herself. All she has is _us._ You're pushing her away and- _"_ Sam pressed a key on the laptop and let out a heavy sigh. 

"And think about us telling her to stay inside, I mean she's got _huge_ wings- you said so yourself. She probably is going crazy with all that darkness surrounding us and her." Sam finished while eyeing the bathroom door. 

Dean dragged his hands over his face at the recognition. He never once thought about anything related to heaven. Hell, if he thought back to it, he never really thought about Ariel's feelings at all. What went through his mind was that if Ariel stayed in one place, then she won't be in harm's way.

He knew what he had to do. Dean inhaled deeply, opened the door, and left. 

'Just not now.' Dean thought.

Sam let out a groan. Not only because he was left to do research alone, but now he had to clean up after Dean's mess again. He didn't want to talk to Ariel, well, he _did,_ but after he promised to murder her, he needed time. And that was something they did not have much of.

The boy buried himself in his work and ignored any and everything that wasn't related to the hunt. 

Meanwhile, Ariel stood outside on the balcony walkway, her copper curls blowing in the breeze. 

The constant four walls felt constricting; she had no other choice but to escape. She didn't want to go far, just outside. 

That was okay, right?

Ariel flinched when she heard the motel door open. She peered over her shoulder to find Dean standing there with a despondent look in his eyes.

The scene that greeted Dean, nearly knocked him off of his feet. From his point of view, he witnessed the sunset's purple and pink hues casting a heavenly light behind the angel. Her black and red wings were spread out, which amplified her beauty. 

It was a view to behold.

A buzzing noise filled their heads.

Instinctively, Ariel drew in her left wing for Dean. 

There was a pull.

Dean naturally took his place at her left side. He leaned against the railing, staring out at the parking lot. The hunter glanced behind him at her wing, watching it surround his being as if it were guarding him. He inhaled deeply. 

"I didn't mean to-" Dean started. 

"I understand," Ariel muttered. 

The archangel furrowed her brows and let out a small exhalation. "I think I will leave. I don't want to be a burden any longer." 

Dean didn't bother looking at Ariel when she spoke. He just apologized for indirectly kicking her out, and now she wanted to leave? It hurt him. She did not have that luxury anymore.

Maybe the problem was him? 

So many possibilities ran through his mind until it overwhelmed him. 

"No." Dean rasped. "You can't just come into my life, _make_ me feel this way- show up in my motel room, half-dead, and then weeks later tell me that you're gonna leave me." The human shook his head vigorously and then subsequently turned to face his companion. 

"You don't have that right anymore- and I won't _let_ you." Dean gruffed. He punched the metal banister before walking away toward the steps. 

Ariel's wings were drawn close to her back. Her eyes followed the righteous man as he escaped his problems, metaphorically and physically. 

"Dean..." The angel murmured.

Ariel gazed down at the children passing by with an inscrutable expression. She stood there for a long while, contemplating whether to listen to Dean.

_'Hiding in plain sight isn't a bad idea; most_ _would expect you to be trying to rally your forces.'_

Ariel pursed her lips, " _Castiel._.." She whispered. 

_'Leave the Winchesters. If you don't, there will be dire consequences.'_

_MOTEL_

_OCTOBER 31ST, 2008_

Sam had only left the room for about 2 minutes before the angels came flying in. A pair of shackles were slapped around her wrists, Enochian magic etched into them to prevent her from going anywhere.

"Castiel?" Ariel queried.

"I'm sorry." Castiel threw the blade at Ariel; it plunging deep into her chest. The soldier flew behind the angel and grabbed the edge, plunging it deeper into her before pulling it out and penetrating her side. 

"Cassie?" Ariel whimpered, wrapping her hands around his that held the blade in place. 

Cas removed the blade and cocked his arm back, sinking the blade between her shoulder blades. He knew that it wouldn't kill her, just fatally wound her to the point where she couldn't depend on her grace to heal quickly.

"I had no choice."

Ariel's whole body went lip and crashed to the floor by the bed. Blood spewed out of her wounds. 

A loud thud came from a particular room upstairs. 

"GET THESE OFF OF ME!!" 

Sam and Dean looked up from the parking lot, confused. 

"Ariel?" Sam questioned, pulling the motel keys from his pocket. He glanced at his brother, whose face went from puzzled to worry in under one second flat.

Dean started for the stairs, briskly walking and then jogged. Sam was close behind with the keys.

Once Sam got the door open, he immediately drew his gun. "Who are you?!" The frightened hunter demanded, training his weapon on the offending man who had Ariel kneeling beside him, with blood pouring onto the homely carpet. 

Dean immediately rushed in and tried to stop Sam from almost shooting the man. "Sam! Sam, wait! It's Castiel." The older brother put his hand on Sam's gun and pushed it down, Sam stood there, anger still written on his face." The _other_ Angel." He added.

Dean spotted another figure in the room, standing by the far window. "Him, I don't know."

"What did you do to her?" Dean breathed. He glanced down at the fallen Ariel and a triumphant Castiel still sitting on the bed.

Ariel pulled her bloodstained lips into a lopsided grin, "He stabbed me- Three times to be exact. I guess that's how siblings greet each other now." 

Castiel stood to his feet, stepping around the fallen woman, "Hello, Sam."

"Oh my God- uh- I didn't mean to- sorry. It's an honor, really, I've heard a lot about you." Sam stepped forward as he spoke and held out his hand for Castiel to shake. 

Castiel glanced at Sam's extended hand, unsure of what to do. Was he supposed to pull it? Chop it off? Squeeze it? 

Ariel let out a small cackle, blood dripping from the crease of her lips and trickling down her chin into her cleavage. "You're supposed to shake it, ass." She hacked and glanced at her wounds.

Sam shook his hand a little, and Castiel finally understood, sliding his hand into Sam's and returning the gesture. 

"And I, you. Sam Winchester-" The soldier turned over the hunter's hand and placed his own over the back as he resumed talking. "The boy with the demon blood."

" _Castiel_..." Ariel wheezed as she heard him address her friend in such a rude way. 

Dean, who had returned from closing the door, gazed down at his angel. He could see that one of her shoulders had a giant gash. The righteous man's expression hardened at the view, a vein popping out of his neck. 

Dean averted his gaze when Castiel resumed talking. 

"Glad to see you've ceased your extracurricular activities," Castiel affirmed, letting go of Samuel's hand and returning his arms to his sides. 

The mysterious figure finally spoke, "Let's keep it that way." 

"Touch Sam Winchester, and I'll devour you, and you'll not only feel _my_ wrath but Father's." Ariel sneered, digging her nails into the carpet as more blood gushed out of her wounds. 

Uriel chuckled, "Following in your beloved's footsteps, huh? First, you rebel just like him, and now you've fallen in every way imaginable. I'm not frightened by an atrocity like you, especially not in those cuffs."

Dean stepped forward and clenched his fist, "Yeah, okay, chuckles." The human looked back to the trench-coated angel. "Who's your friend?" 

Castiel glanced down at Ariel with a pang in his vessel's heart. "This raising of Samhain- have you stopped it?" 

"Why?" Dean replied.

"Dean- Have you located the witch?" Cas questioned, turning his attention to Dean and him only.

Ariel spoke for Dean. "Yes, we've located the witch." 

"And is the witch dead?"

Sam tilted his head, a bit confused, "No, but-" 

"We know who it is." Dean cut him off. 

Castiel walked over to the side table, " _Apparently_ , the witch knows who you are too." The soldier retrieved a hex bag and showed it to the hunters. He sighed, "This was inside the wall of your room. If we hadn't found it, surely one or both of you would be dead. Do you know where the witch is now?"

Sam and Dean exchange a look of uncertainty, a bit sheepish. "We're working on it."

"That's unfortunate," Cas said flatly, looking up and at the back of Uriel's bald head.

"What do you care?" Dean grumbled. 

The soldier looked down at his fallen sister, "The raising of Samhain is one of the 66 seals."

Dean pulled his lip into a thin line, "So, this is about your buddy Lucifer."

Again, the mysterious man spoke when no one wanted him to, "Lucifer is no friend of ours- Heard he's pretty close with Ariel though, jealous?" 

Ariel sniffled, clenching her teeth at Uriel's behavior. "It's just an expression." She huffed. 

"Lucifer cannot rise. The breaking of the seal must be prevented at all costs. Ariel knew of this. I'm not understanding why she didn't inform you." Castiel gestured to the broken archangel, who was still bleeding on the floor. 

Dean's blood ran cold when hearing of this newfound information. Ariel knew all of this but chose to keep it under wraps, for what? Was she really on their side or just there to slow them down? 

Dean turned to the archangel, ignoring her glossy eyes. "You knew?" He queried, hoping it was a lie."No- We'll talk about this later." The hunter shut his eyes, and inhaled deeply trying his best to recollect himself. 

"Why don't _you_ tell us where the witch is, we'll gank her, and everybody goes home." Dean pointed to Castiel.

"We are not omniscient. This witch is very powerful, and she's cloaked even to our methods." Castiel walked back over to the brothers, the hex bag still in his hand.

Sam took a deep breath, "Okay, well we already know who she is, so if we _work_ together-" 

"Enough of this." The man's voice boomed.

Dean, who has had enough of Angels being unbelievable, took a few steps toward the dark skin man. "Okay, Who are you, and why should I care?"

Uriel finally turned from the window, glaring at Dean and Sam. 

Castiel subtly rolled his eyes and dreaded introducing Uriel, "This is Uriel, he's what you might call a....specialist." 

Uriel marched toward the group with his hands behind his back like he was something important. 

The imprisoned angel pushed herself to her feet with the help of Dean. "No..." Ariel murmured, clenching her fist. 

Dean began to panic, "What kind of specialist?" He looked to his angel companion and then toward Uriel, who donned a smug smile. "What are you gonna do?"

"You- uh, both of you- you need to leave this town immediately." Castiel murmured.

"Why?" Sam took a step back.

Ariel gritted her teeth, anticipating Castiel's response. 

Castiel hesitated, "Because we're about to destroy it." 

There was a long beat, filled with worried glances and small panting from the injured woman.

"You are not about to smite these innocent humans! They have no clue on to what's going on, and if you plan on killing them, you're going to have to worry about more than Lucifer rising." Ariel spat, glaring at Uriel, who didn't even bat an eye. 

"This isn't the first time I've... _purified_ a city. Come to think of it, weren't you the one who gave out a command similar to this one?" Uriel grinned, challenging the woman. 

Ariel held a hand to her side; blood still oozing out of her shoulder. "And I regretted it ever since I saw the pain it caused them." 

Castiel held up his arms, "Look, I _understand_ this is regrettable but-"

"Regrettable?" Dean jeered. 

"We have to hold the _line_. Too many seals have been broken already." Cas countered.

Dean glowered, "So you screw the pooch on some seals, and this town has to pay the price?" 

"It's the lives of one thousand against the lives of six billion. There's a bigger picture here." Castiel replied. 

Ariel took a step forward, clutching the chains. "Right, 'cause big brother Michael knows best." 

Dean stepped back from his angel, giving her the space that she needed if she wanted to kick some ass.

"Sister-" Castiel started but was cut off by a substantial blow to the face from Ariel.

"You don't get to call me that, not _you_!" Ariel's voice boomed, reverberating off of the walls. "When I get out of these chains..."

Castiel whirled with the force of the punch, licking the blood from his lips. "Listen, Ariel. You know yourself that Lucifer cannot rise- Not after what he did to you-" The soldier inhaled deeply and cleared his throat; emotions weren't permitted. "If he does, Hell rises with him. Is that something that you're willing to risk?" 

There was a long pause. 

"Ariel, are you willing to risk your life, plus the lives of six million people because of one measly town." Uriel stepped to the woman. 

**_"I am."_ **

"What?" Dean's eyes met with Ariel's. "No..." He gruffed.

Sam observed his brother and Ariel. The way they looked at each other, it was like they were already saying goodbye- in their own way. In the distant future, Dean could be happy with Ariel. She didn't have to die, not today, not ever. 

"We'll stop this witch before she summons _anyone_. Your seal won't be broken, and no one has to die." Sam pleaded.

The specialist sneered, "We're wasting time with these mud monkeys."

"I won't hesitate to kill you." Ariel growled, her wings twitching with anticipation. She was eager to feel the stinging cold metal of the angel blade, sinking into Uriel's warm flesh.

Castiel looked to his former best friend, hurt in his eyes but hate in his voice. All he could do was turn away from her, his hell-fire scorched wings draped against the floor, displaying his sorrow. "I'm sorry, but we have our orders." 

"No, you can't do _this_ , you're angels, I mean- aren't you supposed to..."Sam curled and uncurled his fingers, unsure of what to do with the bubbling anger rising inside of him. All he knew was, this wasn't okay. "You're supposed to show _mercy_." 

Uriel smirked at Sam's ignorance, "Says who?"

"We have no choice." Castiel murmured.

Ariel gritted her teeth, "No choice...Of course, you have a choice. We watched the humans grow together, from the fish, and you betrayed me. You were so young...Where did he go?"

The trenchcoated angel furrowed his brows and frowned at the archangel. "Would you rather me be like you, sister, homeless, _fallen_ and lost? You think you mean well here, but you're nothing but a burden on their shoulders."

Ariel's face contorted at his words, each one wrenching what little hope she had left in her heart. "You don't mean that...you're just hurt."

Castiel's expression hardened. "Why do you think Michael locked you away? Because you couldn't obey simple rules. You were a burden that Father left him because your counterpart is evil incarnate. And it won't be long until you're just like him."

The archangel lowered her gaze, his words stinging in her ear. She didn't expect him to go that low. They used to be best friends, and now he was speaking so horrible to her. 

"HEY!" Dean stepped to Castiel, protectively pushing Ariel behind him. He glanced back at his angel with a finger pointed at her." _You_ have a home." The righteous man whipped back around with a glowering visage. "She has a home, and it's here with us. Now you can take that, and you can shove it up your ass." 

Dean's jaw stiffened as he felt Ariel's soft hand grasping his forearm, her attempt to calm him down failed. "I mean, what you've never questioned a crap order, huh? What are you both, just a couple of hammers?" 

"At least Ariel's got the balls to do what you dickless wingbags couldn't do. So you leave her out of this. Now you can insult me and Sammy all you want, but _don't_ call her a burden." The enraged hunter inched closer to the soldier, chest to chest with him.

"Look, even if you can't understand it, have faith. The plan is just." Castiel muttered, scowling at Dean.

Samuel and Ariel spoke in chorus, "How can you _even_ say that?" Sam had a disgusted tone, but Ariel's anger overshadowed him. Her wings were now flared, and there was a faint ringing noise filling the room.

"Because it comes from heaven, that makes it just." Castiel declared.

Dean tilted his head down and gazed up at the angel, "Oh, must be nice- to be so sure of yourselves." 

Castiel sighed and gazed at the wall, "Tell me something, Dean, when your _father_ gave you an _order_ , didn't _you_ obey?" 

"Don't you dare try to justify your horrific 'orders' by bringing John Winchester into this." Ariel hissed.

Dean shifted on his feet and licked his lips. "Looks like plans have changed." He uttered.

"You think you can stop us?" Uriel queried, an amused look plastered on his face. 

A muscle in Dean's jaw twitched as he thought it over. "No," He started. "But if you're gonna _smite_ this whole town...then you're gonna have to smite all three of _us_ with it." The human gradually came closer to the specialist angel, still not done with his speech. "Because we are _not_ leaving. See, you went to the trouble of bustin' me out of hell. I figure I'm worth something to the _man_ upstairs. So you wanna _waste_ me, go ahead, see how _Daddy_ digs that."

"Tch," Uriel scoffed at Dean's outlandish behavior. How dare a human talk to an angel of the lord as if they were on the same level. "I will drag you out of here myself." He sneered. 

The lights in the room began flickering, a loud ringing filling the vicinity. All the men turned to find Ariel standing behind Dean; her wings projected onto the wall, the room not big enough for her to spread them out further. She rolled her shoulders back as her head hung low, but a bright red glow surrounded her eyes. 

"I dare you to touch Dean Winchester." Ariel's voice carried through everyone's head, echoing and causing them all to recoil. 

Sam swallowed hard, taking a few steps away from Ariel and closer to the desk by the mirror.

Castiel clenched his jaw as he took in the sight of his once bright and cheery sister. Her entire essence was shrouded in darkness, and now he wasn't sure if they could undo any of this. 'Damnit,' He thought.

Ariel slowly made her way to Uriel, taking her rightful place next to Dean, who hid his fear well, masking it with anger. Her charcoal and blood-red wings formed a shield-like shape around her and Dean as she resumed talking. 

"Touch him and so help me, Dad I will waste every last Angel in heaven- and I won't hesitate any longer the more you stare at me with that glower. I will _wipe_ it off your insufferable face." Ariel growled her last words through clenched teeth. 

The cuffs began turning red, the Enochian warding glowing a vivid red.

Before she could melt the handcuffs, Castiel unsheathed the archangel blade he was lent and plunged it deep into her throat. 

Sam and Dean flinched at the sudden movement, "No!" They cried in unison.

Ariel looked up to Dean with an agonized expression, before all three angels disappeared.  
  


_HEAVEN ADJACENT_

Ariel let out a blood-curdling scream as recognition dawned on her face. She did not want to be here; she had to help the Winchesters. The archangel yanked at the chains, trying her best to break free.

"Let me go!" Ariel cried, trying to figure out who it was that was to be her executioner today; Michael or Raphael. "I just want to be free..." She screamed.

"Now, you know I can't let you do that." A calm, disembodied voice took over Ariel's senses. 

The woman shut her eyes and shook her head. "No..." Her body began trembling, tears welling in her eyes. "I would have accepted dying by the hands of Raphael, but you big brother?"

"Raphael couldn't handle one simple task." Michael let out a heavy sigh and walked around his little sister. "This way, you can't prevent it, and he won't have a boost when he comes back." 

Ariel scrunched up her face as she looked to Michael. "You're pathetic. An insufferable leader who can't get past the fact that Dad is gone- He doesn't care about us, so if killing me is your grand way of finally getting his attention- you're wrong!" 

"Fine." The commander summoned his blade, it flying to his hands. "Any last words, little one?" 

Ariel shut her eyes, despite having said all that about her father, she loved him very much. She prayed. 

'Father, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate you. What transpired that day was not your fault and that someday I hope you forgive yourself. Protect Sam and Dean Winchester. They are gifts to humanity.' 

When she finished praying, she opened her eyes and gave Michael a bleak smile. "I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate you-" 

Michael drove the archangel blade into her being, a golden light seeping through the multiple wounds already on her body. He gazed into her sapphire eyes, watching the light fade. It was hard for him. All that was left were him and Raphael to run heaven and that was hard enough as it was. 

Ariel let out a shrill scream, her wings flaring out as the pain grew stronger. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked to her brother, who shared almost the same worried look. 

A tear fell over the precipice and ran down her cheek.

Once he drove the blade deeper, a blinding orange light filled the room, as well as her eyes, mouth, and nose. 

Then, a blastwave of orange light emitted from the woman's body.

"It'll be alright," Michael whispered just as he twisted the blade, killing Ariel. He cradled her head gently and laid her down to the ground, the silhouette of her massive wings burned into the floor where she now laid.

He figured her vessel would be dead by now, considering all the stab wounds, so there was no point as to trying to save her. Michael shut the woman's eyes and inhaled deeply. 

"It will be alright." He murmured, more so trying to convince himself that things will be okay, but that was far from the truth. 

Michael left his temporary vessel.  
  


_IMPALA_

Sam looked around in a panic while Dean was still staring at the spot where his angel used to be. His right side. That's where she belonged, but she just got a blade stuck through her throat then vanished with the two worst angels he ever met.

All he wanted at the moment was his 'burden.' "Ariel?" Dean murmured. He raised his hands to his head. What was he supposed to do?

"Dean, we gotta go." Sam breathed, pushing his brother out the door and toward the steps.

Dean did not want to budge; he dragged his hands down his face and looked at his vandalized car with wide eyes from the balcony. "Yeah..." He exhaled, wiping the forming tears in his eyes and nodding. "Yeah, okay, The seal."

The brothers climbed into Baby, sadness clouding Sam's features. Dean glanced at his brother, feeling the disappointment radiating off his being. 

"What?" Dean asked.

Sam thumbed the string on the hex bag and shook his head, "Nothing." He chuckled, a line appearing between his brows. "I thought they'd be different-"

"Who- the angels?" Dean queried, gazing intently at his brother's agonized grimace.

The giant nodded, licking his lower lip and letting out a repressed sigh. "Yeah, I just- I thought they'd be righteous. Did you see how they treated Ariel... I mean- Ariel talked about Castiel like he was her bestest friend, and he stabbed her in the throat." Sam shut his eyes and shook his head. 

Dean winced at Ariel's name. Just the sound of it sent a pang through his heart; he was sure she was still alive, she had to be. He could feel it. "They _are_ righteous. That's kinda the problem." He let out a sad sigh. "Of course, there's nothing more dangerous than some a-hole who thinks he's on a holy mission."

"But, I mean, this is _God_? And _Heaven_? This is what I've been _praying_ to?" Sam lifted his brows, trying his best to be strong like Dean, but it was hard. There was so much crap going on, and he still couldn't shake the feeling that they might not save the seal. 

Sam Winchester lost faith. 

"Look, man, I know you're into the whole God thing and Jesus on a tortilla and stuff like that." Dean paused and reached for a wilted poppy flower. Ariel whipped up the bulb out of thin air and read him a cryptic Enochian poem when she gave it to him. 

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Dean stared at the steering wheel with a distant look in his eyes. He felt like someone had ripped out part of his soul. He did not like this feeling at all. 

Dean frowned and stuffed the flower in a hidden pocket inside his flannel, "Just because there's a couple of bad apples doesn't mean the whole barrel's rotten. I mean- for all we know, God hates these jerks...Don't give up on this stuff, is all I'm saying. Babe Ruth was a dick, but baseball's still a beautiful game." 

Sam looked up at his big brother, disappointment still in his eyes. "Ariel- she uh, she's a good apple, right?" 

There was a long pause. 

The boy with the demon blood unraveled the hex bag and started to go through its contents. He began to fiddle with the charred bone.

Dean thumbed the steering wheel and put on his best smile. He had to carry on.

"Are you gonna figure out a way to find this witch, or are you gonna sit there fingering your bone?" The 30-year-old pursed his lips and started the impala. He didn't want to talk about Ariel, not anymore; At least not until he knew that she was safe and not bleeding everywhere.

Dean was set on translating the poem.

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Sam held up the bone and studied it. "You know how much heat it would take to char a bone like this, Dean?"

"No." 

"A lot, I mean, more than a fire or some kitchen oven." Sam set the bone down in the cloth. 

"Okay, Betty Crocker, what does that mean?" Dean glanced at his brother with a raised brow. 

Sam sighed with a look of determination in his eyes. "It means we take a stop."

_DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN_

_NOV 1ST, 2008_

Dean sat on a bench, observing the small children as they played on the jungle gym. Ariel was still 'missing,' and he was set on finding her; he just needed to know where to start. The human pulled out the poppy flower. 

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

A faint sound of fluttering could be heard to the far left by the other bench. 

Dean addressed the angel in an annoyed tone. "Let me guess, you're here for the 'I told you so.' " The human let out a peeved sigh and wiped the few tears that had escaped.

"No."

"Well, Good, 'cause _I'm_ really not that interested." Dean quipped.

Castiel clasped his hands together and interlocked his fingers. "I am not here to judge you, Dean."

"Then, why are you here? 'Cause there's no more people to stab. " Dean murmured.

Castiel glanced down at his feet, "Our orders-" 

"Yeah, you know, I've had about enough of these orders of yours-" Dean leaned forward on the bench, perching his elbows on his knees.

The soldier stared at the children with wide eyes and just let out a breath, " _Our_ orders were not to stop the summoning of Samhain, they were to do whatever you told us to do."

" _Your_ orders were to follow my orders?" Dean asked in disbelief. There was no way someone told them to listen to The Winchesters. 

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Castiel looked to the hunter with an odd look in his eyes; It was pain. "It was a test...to see how you would perform under...battlefield conditions, you might say."

"It was a witch..." Dean started, narrowing his eyes and licking his lower lip. "Not the Tet Offensive." 

Castiel smiled, a light chuckle escaping past his lips. This reaction grabbed Dean's attention. It was strange seeing Cas smile. It meant something was changing within him.

Dean and Castiel gazed at the children. 

It warmed Castiel's frozen heart to see his father's creations playing. Cas was pulled away from his thoughts when Dean let out a heavy sigh.

"So, I, uh, failed your test, huh? I get it." Dean inhaled deeply and set his mouth in a hard line. "But you know what? If you would have waved that magic time-traveling wand of yours and we had to do it all over again, I'd make the same call..." He paused and glanced at the soldier. "'Cause see, I don't know what's gonna happen when these _seals_ are broken, hell I don't even know what's gonna happen tomorrow. But what I do know is, is that this here?--" Dean motioned to the playground. "These kids, the swings, the trees, _all_ of it is still here because of my brother and me."

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Castiel inhaled, fixing his eyes on the jaded man before him. "You misunderstand me, Dean. I'm not like you think...I didn't _want_ to turn her in, and I was praying that you would choose to save the town."

"You were?" Dean queried. He ignored the part about Ariel; he wasn't ready to think of the possibility that she might be dead.

"These people-" Cas leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees. "They're _all_ my father's creations." He gestured to the children. "They're works of art, and yet, even though you stopped Samhain, the seal was broken, and we are one step closer to hell on earth, for _all_ creation. And that's not an expression, Dean, It's literal. You of all people should appreciate what that means."

A line appeared between Dean's brows as he thought about Lucifer rising. He averted his gaze and pressed his lips together. Why did it feel so out of his control at this point? He wasn't sure how many seals were left, and no one was giving him and Sam any insight on where to find them and stop them. 

The hunter reached into his jacket and pulled out the enchanted poppy flower, thumbing the wilted petals. Why did everything have to be on his shoulders? He wished Ariel was here.

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Castiel stared at the dead flower carefully, watching the Enochian magic circle around the stem. He averted his gaze, not sure what to say to Dean at the moment, who was having trouble translating the words to English.

"Can I tell you something if you promise not to tell another soul?" The soldier looked at the ground, troubled. 

"Okay."

"I'm not a- um...hammer as you say. I have questions, I... I have doubts. I don't know _what_ is right and _what_ is wrong anymore, whether you passed or failed here." Cas sat back on the bench, pain in his eyes. "But in the coming months, you will have more decisions to make."

There was a beat.

_'Keep ah balit ooa c ol, lap ds capimao ge geh ag longer el, ol wilt. '_

Castiel resumed, "I don't envy the weight that's on your shoulders, Dean. I truly don't."

The hunter and angel share a long look.

Dean turned his attention to a small ginger child, and for some reason, reminded him of his angel.

What if they had a kid? Would he look like the small child?

He looked back to where Castiel had been sitting with an agonized expression. He wished that the decisions weren't up to him. Why did he have to decide the fate of the planet? 

Why only him?

Dean sighed, imaging if Ariel was there to comfort him. She would sing and tell him that he was not alone and that everything will be alright. 

The righteous man leaned back against the bench and gave Ariel his best-veiled smile, but there was no use, she always saw right through it.

Damned you, empathy. 

He played out the scene in his head.

_"You look constipated, Did your talk with Castiel upset you?" Ariel poked fun at the human, trying her best to joke around like Dean usually did, but it didn't seem to work this time._

_The angel took a seat next to him, a wan smile plastered on her face._

_Dean chuckled a bit at her tease but just didn't have it in him to hold up his facade. Tears shimmered in his eyes as he gazed down at the poppy in his hands. "Why me? I mean- I can't do this..." He managed to get out before strangled sobs filled the silence._

Dean began crying as he started to piece together some of the Enochian words.

_Ariel's eyebrows knitted at his question. She wished it could be different for him, but some people were destined for greatness and a man like Dean Winchester, it was his destiny._

_The redhead drew her lower lip between her teeth and looked to her human counterpart. "You can do this...I believe in you." She whispered._

_Her words prompted Dean to make eye contact with her. Dean gazed into Ariel's sapphire eyes and shook his head. "I don't- I can't lose any more people." He choked out, gripping the poppy tight in his hands as if he was afraid it would disintegrate._

_"We can do this... I believe in us, Dean. You, me, and Sam." Ariel reached out her left hand and gingerly covered his hands with hers. As much as she wanted to cry with him, she had to be strong._

_**"Everything will be alright,"** _ _Ariel whispered._

_Dean shut his eyes and allowed for her warmth to envelop him. He nodded his head and faked a smile as his tears ran down his face. "Okay," He sniffled._

_Ariel inched closer to the human and planted a soft kiss to his tear-stained cheeks, not caring at all if she got them on her lips. "It will be alright." She murmured while giving him another kiss but closer to his lips._

_"I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." Ariel cooed._

_Dean hastily turned his body toward hers and clutched the sides of her face._

_He had here and now._

_The hunter roughly locked lips with the angel, afraid at any moment she might evaporate. He dug his fingertips into her head and pulled her closer to deepen the kiss, but it wasn't enough._

_This will never be enough._

_Ariel returned the tender gesture by placing her hands on his shoulders and squeezing them tightly. She traced her fingers across the handprint she left on Dean that day._

Nothing good in this life lasts forever.

Dean finally translated the words, his face contorting at the thought.

**_'Keep a good eye on me, for when we are no longer one, I wilt.'_ **

The broken man opened his eyes to look at the empty spot next to him; he hated this feeling. He longed for it after so many years, but now he just wanted it to go away; It hurt too much because he knew it never lasted. 

Why did it have to be him? 

_"I love you..."_ He breathed.

And that is what scared Dean now that he was alone.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	7. I Know What You Did Last Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary: Ruby, Sam, and Dean look for a girl who hears the angels. Castiel and Uriel return. 
> 
> Warning(s): Steamy Kissing, MAJOR Angst, Alcohol Consumption, Typical SUPERNATURAL Violence, Mild Language

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinder surprise egg! ♥ ♥ Also about Dean and Ariel's relationship, They do like each other to the point where they might kiss and have sex but I won't consider them canon until one of them asks the other one out. Cause it's pretty clear that they feel for each other.
> 
> Word count: 13,750+

_SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER ARIEL'S DEATH_

A BAR - NIGHT

Sam perched himself up against the pool table in an attempt to keep himself steady. He gripped the pool cue, shaking his head. "Brian, come on, man, just one more." The drunk hunter swallowed and studied the man he was playing against. 

"Just- Just give me a chance to win it back." Sam murmured.

Brian, who appeared to be a tall biker, chuckled as he racked the billiard balls. "It's your cash." He affirmed while reaching for his glass of alcohol. 

Dean was standing off to the side of the bar observing the whole interaction. While waiting for his cue, he sipped his beer, his mind drifting off into space as the thought about Ariel. 

It's been weeks since Ariel's passing and he still hasn't felt whole. He thought he would feel better in a week or so but he was stupid to think that. About a week ago he may have heard about something landing in Duluth but it turned out to just be a meteor. 

The 30-year-old sipped his beer and pulled out the dead poppy flower and give it a small kiss before he walked up to the wooden banister. He kissed it for luck. 

"Excuse me." Dean started, slipping the poppy back into his jacket pocket and setting himself up against the railing. "My brother's a little sauced to be making bets." He nodded over to Sam who pretended to be under the influence. 

Brian looked at Dean and shook his head, "Hey" He gestured to Sam. "He insisted."

"Yeah, but you've already taken, what, two bills off him? I'm just saying." Dean gesticulated to his little brother. 

"Hey, shut up, Dean." Sam rolled his eyes and looked at Brian with a bright smile. "I'm fine." 

Dean tilted his head and blinks hard as he gripped the table, "No, you're not fine. You're drunk!" 

"Let's make it five hundred." Sam pulled his lips into a coy smirk and dug into his back pocket.

"Five hundred?" Dean exclaimed with his hands up.

Brian smirked as he finished racking the billiard balls. "Sure." He watched Sam place the money on the table. "Five hundred. Your break." The biker straightened and lifted the rack to place it back under the table. 

As Brian was distracted, Sam raised his brows at Dean all the indications of drunkenness gone. Dean returned the gesture. 

When the biker looked back up, Sam returned to his intoxicated state and leaned over the table. He angled his pool cue and broke, sinking several balls. 

Brian furrowed his brows at the realization that he lost the money, he looked up at Sam with an inscrutable expression. 

Dean fought back a smile as he looked to the bike but snapped his head in his brother's direction when he heard a pressed out, "Keep the money."

The giant hunter set the cue down on the table and began speed walking toward Ruby, who he saw sitting at the bar. 

"Keep the money? What--" Dean opened his arms wide as he watched his brother walk away with a heated expression. His face morphed from a jovial expression to a more choleric one when his eyes landed on the demon. He snatched his drink and followed after Sam.

"Well, you got a lot of nerve showing up anywhere near me." The righteous man stepped to the demon, ready to stab her at any moment. He clenched his jaw.

Ruby crossed her arms and fixed her eyes on the older hunter. "I just have some info, and then I'm gone." 

"What is it?" Sam was patient with her, his tone of voice more gentle. 

Ruby glanced at Sam and her expression softened, "I'm hearing a few whispers."

Dean scoffed, "Ooh, great, demon whisperers-- that's reliable." He rolled his eyes.

Ruby blinked hard and let out a small exhale. She chose to focus on Sam since he listened to her. "Girl named Anna Milton escaped from a locked ward yesterday. The demons seem pretty keen on finding her. Apparently, some real heavy hitter turned out for the Easter-egg hunt."

The demon turned her attention to Dean, this information specifically for him. "I _also_ heard that people are spotting an angry red-head running around. Sound like anybody you know?"

Dean's face dropped as he heard the description of the girl. Angry redhead? He gulped and looked at Ruby who sported a complacent expression. "Can't be our red-head. She's dead." He spat out the word dead like it was poison. 

"Missing- not dead," Sam interjected. 

Pivoting on his heel, Dean walked behind his brother and set his glass on the counter. He knew Sam was in denial about Ariel's death but not this much. No matter how many signs pointed to her being gone, Sam just didn't want to believe it. 

Dean took a few swigs of his beer.

"Oh, well- sorry to hear that.." Ruby unfolded her arms and shifted as it was now silent and awkward. The demon let out a sigh and looked to Sam. "So, I'm thinking that this Anna is important, 'cause the order is to capture her alive. I just figured that whatever the deal is, you might want to find this girl before the demons do."

Sam nodded slightly and peeked over his shoulder to his dejected brother. "Look, maybe we should check it out." 

Nearly choking on his beer as he heard those words, Dean shook his head, disapprovingly. No, he did not want to take any lead from a _demon_. "Actually," He forced a smile and chuckled. "We're working a case, but thanks." Dean winked.

Ruby sneered, "What case?" She was confident. 

"Uh, we've got leads." Dean moved his hands as he talked, "Big leads." He gulped his beer.

Ruby rolled her eyes and crossed her arms in disbelief. "Sounds dangerous." She mocked.

"Yeah, well, it sure ain't _goose-chasing_ after some chick who, for all we know, doesn't even exist, just because you say she's _important_." Dean squinted his eyes as he talked. 

Ruby inhaled deeply and leaned over the bar table. " _I'm_ just delivering the news. You can do whatever you want with it. Far as I'm concerned, I told you, I'm done." She turned to go but was stopped by Sam who had an effect over her. 

"Wait, wait, wait. This hospital Anna escaped from-- it got a name?" Sam gripped Ruby's arm and squeezed it tenderly. 

Ruby looked up at the tall hunter with a veiled expression. 

IMPALA - NIGHT

Dean sat behind the wheel of Baby, speeding down the road. What did Ruby mean by an Angry redhead running around and why was Ruby looking for her? Did Sam ask her to? Despite him being raised from Hell Dean still believed that **'What's dead should stay dead.'**

The jaded man clutched the steering wheel and glanced at his brother who addressed him. 

"Well, Anna Milton's definitely real." Sam stared at his phone then looked at Dean as he spoke. 

"Don't mean the case is real." Dean grumbled. He was seriously praying that Anna wasn't real; An _'I told you so'_ from a demon wasn't ideal. 

" _And_ this hospital's a three-day drive." He added.

Sam furrowed his brows. "We've driven further for less, Dean." He gripped his phone in his hand while he watched Dean shake his head in displeasure. 

"You got something to say, say it." Sam asserted.

Dean's eyes darted over to Sam as he expressed his disgust, "Oh, I'm saying it-- This sucks." Of course, he was upset. Basically his angel girlfriend or whatever she was to him, died, and he didn't get to say goodbye properly. And at that last moment, he gazed into her eyes and saw that was goodbye but he didn't want it to be true. 

It's been weeks since that has happened and now they were to just follow some demons lead even though Ariel wanted Sam to ditch Ruby at all costs.

Sam shook his head and looked straight ahead. "You're not pissed we're going after the girl. You're pissed Ruby threw us the tip." The longhaired Hunter stared at his brother.

"Right. 'Cause as far as you're concerned, the hell-bitch is practically family." Dean paused and squeezed the leather-clad wheel. "Ariel wanted you nowhere near her and yet here we are following a fucking lead. Yeah, boy, something major must've happened while I was downstairs, 'cause I come back, and- and you're BFF with a demon?" He looked at Sam with a puzzled grimace. 

Dean didn't want to bring Ariel into it but he needed to get his point across.

Sam stilled, glaring at the front windshield. "I told you, Dean, she helped me go after Lilith." The man hesitated, "And Ariel isn't here." He swallowed hard. 

"Right, Well, thanks for the thumbnail-- _real_ vivid. You want to fill in a little detail?" There was a small pause. "'Cause I'm thinkin' if Ariel _was_ here, you wouldn't even _think_ of Ruby." Dean glowered at the road ahead, shaking his head. 

The 26-year-old turned his attention to his brother, peeved. "Sure, Dean, let's trade stories. You first. How was Hell? Don't spare the details." Sam turned his upper torso to face Dean as he recommenced. "Matter of fact- Why don't you tell me why you trust Ariel so much? Because she's an angel? For all we know, she was sent to manipulate _you_ or something." 

Dean could feel his blood boiling at that comment. Why the hell would Ariel be sent to manipulate him when it was clear that the other angels despised the 'fallen.' The troubled hunter inhaled deeply and pressed his lips together. 

"Don't talk about her like that." He pressed out through clenched teeth.

The long-haired hunter reached forward and flicked on the radio, hoping some music might diffuse the tension but it didn't. It was like the world was working against him because [**_'I Hate Myself for Loving You' by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts_**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6m7b5xJq7Y) played through the speakers. 

Dean immediately switched off the stereo and pressed his foot to the gas pedal. He was ready to make the three-day drive.

HOSPITAL - DAY 

_three days later_

Sam and Dean stood in a pristine white room in their FED threads, questioning the psychologist.

Sam had his hands shoved deep into his pockets while Dean was over by the bed with a notepad and pen, jotting down some notes and searching for anything supernatural. 

"Now, the orderly has no recollection of Anna's escape?" Fiddling with the lock-pick in his pocket, the psychologist had half of Sam's attention. 

The psychologist clutched the manila folder in her right arm as she motioned with her left. "Apparently, she knocked him unconscious. The blow caused some amnesia. He doesn't even remember coming into her room."

Dean flipped his notepad close, "That's a hell of a right hook to knock a guy that's got 80 pounds on her." He strolled over to his place next to Sam.

"We think she may have planned this," The woman gestured to the door as she was stepping out of the room to leave. "Waited behind the door." She concluded. 

The brothers followed her out of the room, Sam trying to put together the information in his mind. "Right. Uh, you mentioned Anna's illness was recent." 

"Two months ago," The psychologist started, turning to face the duo. "She was happy, well-adjusted, journalism major, lots of friends-- bright future." 

Dean furrowed his brows and pursed his lips in confusion. "So, what happened--she just...flipped?"

The woman averted her eyes and smiled faintly. "Well, that's the tragedy of schizophrenia. Within weeks, Anna was overtaken by delusions."

"What kind of delusions?" Sam tilted his head, genuinely interested in what she had to say. 

Turning her attention to the floor, a skeptical smirk crept onto her face. "She thought demons were everywhere." As she talked she handed Sam the sketchbook. 

Sam reached for the book. "Huh," He said as he flipped through the book. 

Dean flipped open his notepad and began writing down the notes, "Interesting." He murmured, most likely to seem professional.

"It's not uncommon for our patients to believe that monsters are real." The woman added with a small smile. 

This snagged Dean's attention. Dean looked up and laughed, "Well, that-" The hunter paused as he caught a glimpse of the sketches. "That's just batty." He finished. Turning his attention back to the book, he recognized the different seals that have been broken. 

"That's revelations," Dean muttered.

"Since when does the Book of Revelations have jack-o-lanterns?" The psychologist jeered. 

Dean pursed his lips, trying to think of an excuse. "It's uh...a little-known translation." 

The psychologist parted her lips with a puzzled expression, "Ah..." She paused. "Well, Anna's father was a church deacon. When she became ill, her paranoia took on religious overtones. She was convinced the devil was about to rise up and end the world." 

She sighed, "I hope you find her. It's dangerous for her to be out there alone right now."

Sam and Dean shared a knowing look. If Anna knew all of this then what could she be and how was she still alive? They both turned to the woman and Sam flashed his famous puppy eyes, "Could we get her address- to question her parents?"

"Of course." The woman searched through her manila folder and then handed the boys a piece of paper.

Dean snatched the paper from Sam, a pallid half-smile dancing across his face. "Thanks." 

A BAR - NOT ON EARTH

_In the middle of the wooden floor laid a figure with large black and gold wings surrounding them._

_The figure opened its eyes, squinting as they readjusted to the bright light above their head. They shut their eyes and shook their head as millions of voices filled their mind._

_**"It isn't your time."** Were the words that played over in their mind. They recognized the voice but couldn't place it. If only they saw the face. _

_The being stood to their feet and walked over to the nearest reflective surface to observe themself to see if anything had been majorly changed._

_The angel's breathing hitched in its throat as it was met with azure eyes in the mirror._

_"I'm alive." Ariel murmured._

_She studied herself in the mirror. It was a human vessel, Camille. That faint voice in the back of Ariel's mind had vanished. Camille was dead._

_It felt strange._

_Camille and Ariel were close, but to now have her gone, it was an unsettling feeling._

_With wide eyes, she studied the large set of wings on her back. Ariel brought the left wing forward, stretching out her arm to finger the golden feathers._

_Everything felt so different this time, being alone in the vessel and experiencing all the five senses **alone**. _

_She could hear the faint acoustics of an indecipherable song playing on the overhead speaker. Her sapphire orbs darted from the mirror to the speakers._

_Ariel shut her eyes and inhaled deeply, "I feel different..."_

_It was hard not having someone to guide them for centuries and then Him to just appear and resurrect her; It made her angry.  
_

_"Why won't you help us?" Ariel challenged with a pained grimace._

_The abandoned child looked heavenward, "WHY WON'T YOU **HELP** US?!" She shouted._

EARTH - MILTON HOME - DAY

Dean knocked on the front door, sliding a hand into his pockets as they waited. A few seconds passed before he deduced that they weren't home. "Maybe they're not home."

Sam glanced at the driveway and shrugged. "Both cars in the driveway."

"Huh." Dean peered through the glass window and reached for the doorknob. Jiggling it, he had come to find out that it was unlocked. The hunter looked back at his brother and then entered the home.

"Mr. and Mrs. Milton?" Dean shouted throughout the house.

Sam followed close behind his brother, carefully searching the house for any signs of life. "We're from the sheriff's department." He closed the door behind him and continued. "We just wanted to ask you a couple of questions."

As Sam rounded the corner of the living room, he was met with two corpses. He let out a heavy sigh once he pieced together who they might be. The tall hunter peeped over his shoulder to see Dean entering with a solemn grimace. He walked over to the bodies, hunkered over a yellow powder on the floor and swiped his fingers through it. 

"Sulfur. The demons beat us here. Whatever the deal is with this Anna girl--" Sam started but Dean finished. 

"Yeah, they want her. They're not screwing around." The 30-year-old took a deep breath, "All right, so, if I was 'Girl, Interrupted," Dean paused and plucked a few addressed envelopes and recommenced. "And I know the score of the apocalypse, just busted out of the nut-box..." He looked down at his brother. "Possibly using superpowers, by the way. Where do I go?"

Sam brought himself to his feet and caught a glimpse of a family photo. "Hey, you got those sketches from Anna's notebook?" He motioned with his finger.

"Yeah." Dean nodded his head and tossed the envelopes to the side. He reached into his suit jacket and pulled out some papers he tore from her sketchbook. 

The poppy flower fell out of his jacket, the stem was a vivid green. 

Bending over to pick up the flower, Dean shoved the papers into Sam's hands and studied the piece of nature. For a second, there was a spark of hope in him that Ariel might be alive. 

Sam glanced at the flower but the realization didn't dawn on him until he saw a scarlet petal growing from the stem. "What is that?"

"Um.." Dean cleared his throat as he thumbed the forming bulb. "Nothing." The hunter furrowed his brows and stuffed the flower into his jacket. He couldn't contain his happiness

Lowering the photo, Sam looked down at his brother, unsure of how to say this correctly. "Look...I'm sorry- ." 

Dean shut his eyes, "Don't." He dragged his hands over his face and drew his lower lip between his teeth. 

"Check this out." Sam shuffled through the sketches and stopped on a drawing of a stained glass window. 

The 30-year-old opened his eyes, glancing between the photo and illustration. "She was drawing the window of her church."

"Over and over." Sam murmured, tracing his index finger over the colored ink. "If you were religious, scared, and had demons on your ass, where would you go to feel safe?" 

Dean ran his tongue over his bottom lip as recognition dawned on his face. "Let's change and then go." 

A BAR - NOT ON EARTH

_Ariel could feel her grace replenishing, it wasn't quick but it was fast enough to the point where she may be able to heal, fly, and flash her eyes; Basic things._

_' **Ariel**.'_

_A prayer? No one could possibly know she was alive. The voice sounded familiar._

_It was Dean._

_"Let me go," Ariel demanded._

_**"Not at this moment," The disembodied voice said.** _

_"He **needs** me." Ariel turned to the entrance but it disappeared. _ _"I need to save him." She muttered._

_Tossing her head back with closed eyes, a bright golden light engulfed the bar and her body. When she opened her eyes they were filled with grace, glowing gold._

CHURCH ATTIC - DAY

Sam and Dean entered the church in their hunter attire, with guns drawn. The brothers stepped carefully around the corner of each flight of steps until they reached the top. 

Sam entered the attic first, searching the room for any movement and his eyes fell on a silhouette of a girl, hiding behind a stained glass divider. He looked at Dean, "Dean." With a pointed gun, he motioned toward the divider. 

Once the figure moved behind the glass, Sam held up his hands and put his gun away, prompting Dean to do the same. 

"Anna?" Sam cautiously took a few steps forward. "We're not gonna hurt you. We're here to help." He motioned between himself and Dean, "My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean." =

"Sam? Not Sam Winchester?" Her voice came from behind the glass. 

The long-haired male glanced at Dean confused, "Uh, yeah." 

Stepping. "And you're Dean. _The_ Dean?"

Dean's eyes widened at that title. The flirtatious side of him surfaced as he thought of a reply. "Well, yeah." He pursed his lips sheepishly, " _The_ Dean, I guess." His response earned a bitch-face from Sam. 

Anna slowly walked toward the righteous man, "It's really you. _Oh_ my God." She laughed, a bit overwhelmed by the fact that Dean freaking Winchester was standing in front of her. "The- The angels talk about you. You were in Hell, but Ariel pulled you out, and some of them think you can help save us." 

The girl then gazed at Sam, "And some of them don't like you at all." She smiled wanly and continued. "They talk about you all the time lately. I feel like I know you. They also talk about Ariel a lot. Is she with you?" She rambled.

Dean averted his gaze as his brows drew together. "So, you talk to angels?"He asked, wanting to avoid the subject of Ariel.

"Oh, no. No, no way." Anna shook her head. "Um, they probably don't even know I exist. I just kind of...overhear them." 

Sam scrunched up his face in confusion. "You overhear them?"

"Yeah," Anna breathed deeply and shut her eyes. "They talk, and sometimes I just...hear them in my head." She opened her eyes hoping the boys would understand. 

Dean raised his brows at the thought, "Like, right now?" 

"Not right this second, but a lot. And-" Anna's eyes darted between the two men and gulped. "And I can't shut them out, there are so many of them." The redhead's words trailed off near the end as she thought of something she maybe should tell Dean. 

Anna smiled, "She- Ariel talked about you a lot, Dean." She shut her eyes as she remembered hearing Ariel's voice in her head, "Her voice was very loud, very commanding. But a few weeks ago she went silent...is she okay?"

Dean winced at her name and shifted on his back foot, "So, they lock you up with a case of the crazies when really you were just...tuning into angel radio." He did not want to talk about Ariel. 

"Yeah, basically." Anna nodded and looked up at Dean whose eyes were fixed on the floor. 

Sam pursed his lips, "Anna, when did the voices start? Do you remember?"

Anna nodded, "I can tell you exactly- September 18th." 

Hearing this date, Dean's eyes shot over to Sam who had the same worried look. "The day I got out of Hell." He mumbled.

Anna took a small step forward, "First words I heard, clear as a bell-- 'Dean Winchester is _saved_.'" 

Dean's ears perked up at that phrase.

If Ariel and Castiel were the ones who pulled him out, did that mean they were the ones who shouted that so loud that it made Anna hear the angels? A part of him felt happy that Ariel might have screamed those words, but a large portion of him was sad that now he may not be able to see her again. 

In the span of an hour, he forgot about the flower that was sprouting in his pocket. 

"What do you think?" Dean asked Sam.

Sam scoffed and shook his head, "It's above my paygrade, man."

"Well, at least now we know why the demons want you so bad." Dean murmured whilst nodding his head. He resumed, "They get a hold of you, they can hear everything the other side's cooking. You're 1-900-angel." 

It felt like things just kept getting bigger and much harder to fight. 

Anna smiled at Dean, still in awe of his presence. "Hey, um, do you know-- are my parents okay? I didn't go home. I was afraid."

Before the boys could react and tell her that her parents were dead, Ruby came charging in. "You got the girl. Good, let's go."

"Ah!" Anna backed away from the trio, almost falling over. "Her face!"

Sam reached out a hand to silence Anna. "It's okay. She's here to help." 

Dean sneered, "Yeah, don't be so sure." He looked in Ruby's general direction.

Ruby glanced at Sam, "We have to _hurry_." 

"Why?" Dean challenged.

"Because a demon's coming-- big-timer. We can fight later, Dean." The demon snapped, starting for the door but Dean's words pulled her back.

Dean scoffed, "Well, that's pretty convenient-- showing up right when we find the girl with some bigwig on your tail?" His jaw tightened.

"I didn't bring him here. _You_ did." Ruby asserted. 

" _What_?" Dean glanced at Sam whose eyes were transfixed on Ruby.

Ruby took a step forward and gestured to Anna, "He followed you from the girl's house. We gotta go _now_."

Sam turned to tell Anna to follow but he caught a glimpse of the Mother Mary statue bleeding from the eyes. "Dean..." He pointed to the statue.

Dean looked at the statue with wide eyes. He parted his lips as he wasn't sure what it meant. There were no words. 

"It's too late." Terror overtook Ruby's face as she couldn't think of what to do either. She took a few steps toward Sam who already had an idea to hide Anna. 

"Anna!" Sam walked the girl over to the closet and pushed her inside. "Stay in there. Don't move." He then shut the door and walked back to where his brother and demonic acquaintance were waiting for him. 

Sam dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a flask of holy water but was stopped by Ruby. 

" _No_ , Sam, you got to pull him right away." Ruby watched Sam as he walked by, not concerned with how Dean felt. 

Dean's face contorted at the suggestion. "Whoa, hold on a sec. Ariel said that-"

Ruby snapped her head in Dean's direction, " Ariel is _dead_. Now's not the time to bellyache about Sam going dark side. He does _his_ thing, he exorcises _that_ demon, or we _die_." 

What was Dean to do?

The hunter parted his lips and looked to Sam with a wary grimace. He wasn't sure whether to let Sam use his powers or honor Ariel's wishes. Sam had already bent the rules; He used them to kill Samhain.

There was a beat.

Sam glanced at the flask with a conflicted look in his eyes. He wasn't sure what to do either, but it seemed like his only option. It took him a moment to put the flask away and turn to face the entrance. 

Suddenly the door tore open, a caucasian male emerging from the darkness. He rounded the steps, his fingers grazing against the dusty banister. The demon looked at his fingers, disgusted. 

Sam inhaled deeply and raised his arm outward, attempting to pull the demon but it did nothing. 

The demon brought his hand up to his throat, "That tickles." He flashed his white eyes at the trio. "You don't have the juice to take me on, Sam." He raised his hand and made a pulling motion, sending Sam flying through the banister and down the steps. 

This put Sam out of commission for now.

Dean drew Ruby's knife from his jacket, not noticing that he dropped the flower. He went to attack the demon, drawing his arm back but was stopped mid-strike by the demon.

"Hello again, Dean." The demon grinned, throwing Dean into a wooden beam and knocking the knife out of his hand. He landed a few punches on the human before gripping him by his collar and setting up him against the support beam. 

_'Ariel'_ Dean prayed silently, hoping she would answer.

The demon mocked him, "Come on, Dean. Don't you recognize me?" He landed a few more blows. "Oh, I forgot-- I'm wearing a pediatrician. But we were so close...in Hell."

Dean shut his eyes as he tried to understand the words that were coming from the demon's mouth. Between the punches and the pounding headache, the only name that came to his head was 'Alastair.' But that couldn't be- Alastair should still be in hell. 

"Alastair." Dean sneered with blood staining his teeth.

Meanwhile, in the background, Anna's screaming could be heard. " _NO! NO! SO LOUD_!" The girl pulled away from Ruby's grasp just as the church bells began tolling. Anna held her hands to her head while shaking it. " _THE SCREAMING!_ "

Alastair landed a few more punches on Dean before he noticed the chaos ensuing around him. 

The ringing intensified as the light from outside faded to darkness and a sonic boom was heard above the church. The window cracked from the high frequency. 

Ruby and Anna looked at the giant stained glass window as the room began trembling from whatever was about to descend upon the church.

"No, no- Why is an archangel tethered to you?!" Alastair pressed out between clenched teeth. He yanked Dean and tossed him to the ground, ready to make an escape but as he turned he was stabbed in his shoulder with the demon knife by Sam.

Sam rushed to Dean's side and helped him to his feet. They both stared at the window, eyes wide with fear.

Dean panted heavily as he thought of who could be tethered to him. There was no way it could be _her_ until he caught a glimpse of the red poppy, crushed under the weight of his boot. His face contorted at the thought of his angel actually being alive.

Just then, a fiery orb crashed through the window and landed in the middle of the room. The being cracked the concrete floor, sending a blastwave of grace through the room and knocking everyone over. 

Alastair raised his arms to protect himself from the light but couldn't withstand the power. He disappeared along with the knife.

[ _Ariel's outfit_ ](https://em.wattpad.com/dabf0f2d43d9310c83b244406294d43f56ccb125/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f515843777654556b563436486d513d3d2d3835383835343434382e313630363739663963653133366232363133393830323535393038382e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280)

Grunts and soft groans filled the room as the light died down to reveal a red-headed woman, in a black leather trench coat. She rolled her shoulders back and flexed her black and golden wings; a black shadow splayed across the attic walls from a human perspective. But for Dean, he got the full view of the sun beaming down on her glittering obsidian wings. 

It was indeed Ariel. 

Everyone stared at the archangel in awe and fear. 

Ruby wanted to get out of there as soon as possible while Anna felt calm and unnerved. The female demon snatched Anna's hand and pulled her toward the exit. 

Sam rolled over onto his side and looked up from his position to see Ariel standing over him the same way she was that day in the gas station. He gathered his brows in anguish as he couldn't keep his emotions at bay. 

It had been a month, a _very_ hard month without her and all the guilt of not honoring her wishes weighed down on him. 

The tall hunter scurried to his feet, "You're here..." He breathed.

"You prayed," Ariel affirmed, aware this was just like Missouri. 

Dean's mouth set in a hard line as he shook his head in denial. "No...can't be," He choked out. He pushed himself to his feet, avoiding eye contact with the angel.

Each time Ariel took a step forward, Dean took a step back. It was obvious he was hurt but she didn't think it'd be this bad. 

The angel flew behind Dean and placed a wary hand on his shoulder, "I'm here." She cooed.

Dean shut his eyes at first contact. Never in a million years, he thought he would be able to feel her hands on him again. He tried to fight every urge to pull her in close but couldn't any longer. 

Whipping around on his feet, he pulled Ariel into a crushing embrace. Dean buried his head in the crevice between her neck and shoulder, inhaling her vessel's natural scent; He would say she smelled like cherries and vanilla. 

Dean breathed, "God- I've missed you." He tightened his hold on the woman, sliding his hands underneath her shirt and digging his fingertips into her hips.

Ariel's breath hitched in her throat as Dean's touched her skin. She tilted her head back and carded her fingers through his hair before craning his neck down so she could give him a kiss on the forehead. 

Who knows what might have happened if Ariel hadn't shown up. 

Sam stumbled over to his family, embracing both of them tightly and had no intention of letting them go any time soon.

That was all that it took to send Ariel's emotions into a spiral. She inhaled a considerable amount of air before exhaling, a few laughs seeping through. The heartfelt reunion overwhelmed her, bringing tears to her eyes. She has never felt more loved or welcomed in her life and she owed it all to the Winchesters.

"We're glad you're back," Sam mumbled through his strangle sobs. He pressed his lips to her forehead and shut his eyes. "We don't know how- but we're glad." The giant added. 

Dean finally let go of the woman, pushing her away gently and taking a step back so that he could see _all_ of her. "How are you- I thought-" The tired man pulled his lips into a tight line and shook his head, "You were gone."

Ariel averted her gaze to the floor, "I did- I mean I was..." She nodded her head. Wiping whatever tears that were left, the angel put on her best smile. "I don't know how- but all I remember is hearing _your_ prayer, Dean."

Sam shifted on his feet and slipped his hands into his jean pockets, "Are you- Are you God?" It was a random question but Sam had to know whether or not Ariel was God. She probably wasn't but how else could she be here right now?

" _What_?" Dean's head whipped in Sam's direction with a puzzled expression. " **No** \- She is not God." He squinted his eyes and shook his head at his brother's inane question. "You aren't right? 'Cause then _this_ would be a little awkward." The hunter gestured between himself and Ariel who just burst into fit laughter.

Barely able to contain her laughter, she gazed up at the green-eyed hunter with a soft smile. "I think that if I _were_ God, I'd make your lives a bit easier." She affirmed with a small giggle. 

Sam set his eyes on the ginger, a small smile on his face. "Only a bit easier? " He murmured. 

"How else would you guys get all this _good_ character development." Ariel joked.

All while Ariel and Sam talked, Dean stood to the side, admiring her beauty. The way the sun beamed down on the side of her face, highlighting her small freckles and sunspots. He tilted his head as he now noticed that one of her vessel's eyes had specs of green in them. 

Dean didn't snap out of his transfixed state until he heard Sam mention Anna. All traces of happiness faded as he listened in.

"Right," Ariel smiled. "I would offer to fly you there but I need to conserve grace. I left too soon and there's no quick way to refill unless... I steal from other angels." She looked off into the distance as she thought about it. It would take a lot but it might work; She would have to steal from angels that attack the boys.

Sam glanced at the angel, worried that maybe she has been corrupted. Something about her felt different and it was clear in her smile. Dean may have been blind to it but to someone who wasn't a lovesick fool- they could see that her smile was hiding something. 

The trio left for the exit. The plan was to get back to the motel room and contact Ruby.

MOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

The drive back to the motel was tense. There was chatter here and there but there wasn't much to talk about. Dean had lots to say but not in front of his brother and Sam avoided looking at Ariel. 

Something was wrong.

When they arrived, Ariel exited the impala and perched herself against the side of the car. She stared at the sky, presumably listening to whatever her brethren were saying at the moment.

They had no idea. 

"Red," Dean murmured. The hunter walked around to her side of the car and took his place on her left side. "You seem pretty out of it. Everything okay up there?" He asked quietly while pointing his eyes toward her forehead. 

The woman smiled faintly, her eyes drifting to Dean's shoes, "I don't know." She whispered.

Dean wasn't sure how to respond to that. Should he ask her what's bothering her or just let it be? What if what was bothering her is important? He chose to put it aside for later. 

Bad idea.

"You're back for good, right?" The human asked while pushing himself off Baby. He turned around to face the angel as he walked backward toward the motel room, with his hand still holding his side. 

Ariel looked up at her human, confused by his arm position but realized that he must be in pain. The question he asked had many answers and none of which was the answer he wanted to hear. 

"We should go inside." She whispered. 

"Ariel," Dean said her name quietly, grabbing her full attention. He held up a hand to prevent her from walking any further. "No more secrets." 

"Back for good." Ariel lied. She sported a wan smile as she walked past the hunter and into the room. 

Sam had been sitting on the bed, sewing up a cut that he must have acquired during the fight.

"Hey," Sam greeted the angel without looking up at her. He was focused on mending his wounds. 

Ariel sat next to Sam on the bed and lifted her hand to Sam's arm but he pulled away. She furrowed her brows at his absurd action, mostly confused as to why he would do such a thing. 

It was a minor wound, Why did he reject her help?

Dean entered the room shortly after Ariel, a sour look on his face as he couldn't determine if his angel's reaction to his question was a genuine one. He knew for sure something was different about her but he was so happy she was alive. 

It was for the best if he just put his suspicions aside. 

The surly hunter snatched a bottle of alcohol sitting on the desk and made his way to the bathroom.

Sam finally made eye contact with the angel and pulled his lips into a tight line, debating whether or not he should be honest. He chose the former; honesty right now could wait. 

"You need to save your grace." The giant groaned as he felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm. "Maybe Dean needs help." He groaned through clenched teeth as he resumed sewing up his cut. 

"Right..." Ariel murmured as she turned her attention to the short-haired male that was hunkered over the bathroom sink with his left arm still at a bent angle. It was obvious he was hurt and when she used her abilities to search his bodies for injuries, his shoulder was dislocated and he had a few bruises. 

Dean straightened and caught a glimpse of Ariel in the mirror; their eyes met for a brief moment before he closed the door and returned to whatever it was he was doing in the bathroom. He turned the faucet on and snatched a cup from the counter. Once the cup was filled with warm water, he took a big sip and held it in his mouth then spat it out. 

All he could think about was Ariel lying straight to his face. He told her no more secrets and she lied to his face. 

A soft flutter of wings was heard but not comprehended. Ariel stood behind Dean, waiting for him to turn around and acknowledge her presence. The hunter turned his body only slightly, seeing Ariel's piercing blue eyes in the mirror and nearly leaping out of his skin. 

"I told you- you can't just do _that_ -" Dean grumbled. "I could have been pooping- or- or y' know human stuff." As he spoke he took a few swigs of the alcohol, building up the courage to face her after the serious conversation outside. 

The corner of Ariel's lips turned up into a lopsided grin, "I had a feeling that you weren't," She nodded toward his hurt shoulder and raised her hand, "Let me, I can tell you're hurt." 

Dean raised a brow at the angel and glanced down at his shoulder. "I forgot about that- Look, Sam...He can just set it back." The bruised man slowly stepped away from Ariel but was stopped by her grace pulling him back to her. 

"You've been avoiding me since the car...Was it something I said?" The archangel placed a soft hand on Dean's injured shoulder causing him to wince. She slowly ran her hands over the ripples on his clothed chest and pushed the overshirt off of his body. 

"I regret not telling you about the seal..." Ariel mumbled with an alluring gaze.

The righteous man clutched the bottleneck in his hand, staring at the angel with hooded eyes, a line appearing between his brows when she mentioned the last seal. Unsure if he should let her continue but curious to see where it might lead, he watched her carefully. 

Dean shook his head, "You lied to me. I said, no more secrets." He whispered.

The doleful man went to take another swig of the whiskey but when he raised his hand, the bottle was gone from his hand, now sitting on the counter. 

"Hey, maybe I wanted that..." He whined.

Ariel paid no mind to his burning gaze, she continued to peel the overshirt from his body and smiled furtively when it hit the floor. 

There was a loud popping sound as she set his shoulder back into place. Her sudden movements earned a loud grunt and a hand swat from the human. 

Dean groaned, "Fuck," As he rotated his shoulder to make sure that it was working as intended. "That doesn't make us square- I'm still upset." He pointed his finger at Ariel who donned a complacent smile.

"Dean, I didn't mean to lie to you..." Ariel whispered as she fingered the hem of his sleeve, tracing her thumb over the raised skin. With closed eyes, she admitted why she lied, "I am just scared."

The hunter eyed the worried angel, "We weren't gonna make fun of you for being scared. Hell- I'm scared too, never know what's gonna do me in..." His words trailed off as he didn't want to become frustrated with her. He took a deep breath.

"Just- no more secrets or lies." Dean asserted

"No more..." Ariel murmured as she opened her eyes and locked gazes with him.

Silence filled the room as Dean contemplated whether she was being truthful. He assumed she was being completely honest. He chose not to verbally respond, he nodded.

Ariel smiled warmly at the human. 

Sadness clouded Dean's features as he thought about how sweet Ariel was to him. She was patient and never once lost her temper because of his stupidity. And what did Dean do in return? He yelled at her, pushed her away and sometimes on his good days he would accept her love and affection with open arms. 

He didn't deserve her. 

"Why did you fall from Heaven for _me_?" Self-hatred reeked from Dean's being.

It wasn't uncommon for Dean to repeatedly ask this, he did every so often they were alone and every time Ariel would reassure him. 

She started, "You're strong," Ariel kissed his jawline.

Ariel gave him a small kiss on his cheek, "You're caring."

Dean furrowed his brows deeper each time she presented him with a kiss. He let his arm fall to his side and averted his gaze to their reflection in the bathroom mirror.

There was a beat. 

The archangel raised both hands to the human's face and cupped his cheeks, lowering his head so he could see that she meant every word. She searched Dean's eyes for permission and saw no hesitation. 

Holding her breath as she inched closer to his lips, Ariel pressed her lips against Dean's but the gesture was not returned. 

Dean's jaw tightened as he locked eyes with the red-head. "What I _did_ \- I practically gave up...I don't deserve _this_ \- ... _You_." He shook his head as he couldn't fathom that someone, as broken as him, deserved love too. The human shut his eyes.

"Just stop for a minute," Ariel breathed while gripping his shoulder. "Look at me," She cooed.

Dean swallowed hard and gazed at the angel with hooded eyes. The look was indecipherable. 

"You don't give up without putting up a _good_ fight," Ariel lifted her right hand to his chin and tilted his head down further, to get a good look at his emerald eyes. 

Ariel closed the space between them, "You're a _good_ man, Dean Winchester." She breathed. The angel set her hand on his chest, massaging the left pec, where his heart would be.

*******

His movements weren't very sudden. Dean brought a hand to the side of Ariel's face and sensually devoured his angel. Letting his hands fall to her shoulders, he slowly peeled off her heavy trench coat. It made a thud as it hit the floor.

Ariel gradually returned his touches, wrapping her hand around the hunter's neck and tugging him downward. Her chest fluctuated as Dean's hands traveled down her body and landed on her hips. 

The hunter dug his nails into her bare hips and lifted her from the ground. It prompted Ariel to wrap her legs around the hunter before he shoved her against the bathroom door; Her head hit the door but she couldn't care less. 

Dean kept her pinned with his hips pressed to her center. He lifted his hands to her head and squeezed it tightly as he slipped his tongue into her mouth. 

Somewhere in between the vociferous caresses and heavy panting, Dean moaned, "Fuck."

As the kisses grew more intense, Ariel's vessel began reacting accordingly. She had never experienced something so passionate, her mind went in a complete spiral. Heat pooled between her legs followed by her stomach tightening.

Dean nudged her head to the side before burying his into her neck. He ran his tongue over his lips as he took in her scent. The aroused man planted soft kisses across her collar bone, running his hands down the curves of her body and stopping at her hips. 

Ariel involuntarily bucked her hips, her vessel craving friction of any kind. She clutched his shoulders, her hand fitting over the raised handprint she left. 

The hunter smirked her at neediness. He pressed the forming bulge in his jeans onto her denim-clad center, grinding his hips upward. Dean's head shot up once an audible moan erupted from Ariel's throat. 

*******

There was a loud knock at the door, startling Dean.

"Hey, uh... _I'm_ still here and we still have to find Anna." A disembodied voice came from the next room. The two aroused lovers almost forgot about Sam.

Dean shut his eyes. "Damnit," He mouthed and lifted his head up to help project his voice. He cleared his throat, "Right, we'll be out- just- just give us a minute." 

The hunter glanced down at the woman he had pinned to the door and gave her a sheepish smile. 

There was shuffling heard behind the bathroom door before it opened to reveal a disheveled Dean and a wild-haired Ariel. Sam observed the angel, a flush creeping up his face as he noticed her lust blown pupils and puffed lips. 

Ariel glanced between the boys with red cheeks. She whispered, "Something's _wrong_ with my vessel..." And glanced down at her lower abdomen and pelvic area.

Sam raised a brow at the angel, confused at her statement but then realized what was wrong and burst into a fit of laughter. 

Dean stared at Ariel with wide eyes but glared at Sam when he started laughing. "It's not funny, Sam." 

"I mean, you gotta admit it's pretty funny. You think 'cause they sit up there all day watching us, they'd learn a thing or two about our bodies." Sam laughed. The smile fell quickly from his face once he noticed that Ariel was not amused and neither was Dean. 

Ariel's eyes bounced between the laughing psychic and the peeved older brother. She didn't understand what was funny but just chose to leave it alone. "Do you still have the demon-killing knife?" She smoothed down her trench coat. 

Sam returned to his position, and let out a heavy sigh. "No. Uh, I lost it saving Dean's ass." He panted while rolling down his bloodied sleeve and peering over his shoulder. "Who the hell was that demon?" He asked his brother with an agonized grimace. 

Dean glanced at Ariel for a brief moment and then looked down at Sam and shook his head. "No one good."

There was a long pause as Dean thought about Alastair being topside. He glanced up to the ceiling and then at Sam's bloody arm. "We got to find Anna." 

"Ruby's got her. I'm sure she's okay." Sam turned his body to face Dean, avoiding any eye contact with his angel companion. He felt ashamed to say Ruby's name in the presence of Ariel. She never wanted Sam to go down this path yet he hadn't listened.

Ariel sat silently on the bureau, tapping her fingers on the wood to a song in her head. She halted all movements when she heard Ruby's name; She honestly forgot that Ruby had been in the church attic when she descended to earth. 

"You're speaking with Ruby again?" The red-head queried, really hoping it wasn't true but she should have known that in the month she was gone, Sam must have fallen down the wrong path. 

The tension in the air grew thick as Sam dreaded this question and Dean wasn't going to help him either. He could feel her soft cerulean eyes boring holes into the back of his head. 

"Sam?" Ariel murmured, pushing herself to her feet and walking over to where Dean stood so Sam could properly see her. "I'm not mad...just disappointed. I told you Ruby is bad news." 

It was obvious that he had spoken to Ruby but it was Ruby that gave them the tip that Anna was being hunted. The giant clasped his hands together and twiddled his thumbs as he wasn't sure how to respond. He decided that Ariel needed to stop discriminating.

"Is it 'cause she's a demon? 'Cause that's _pretty_ discriminatory of you. Just because you're an angel doesn't mean you have some kind of leverage. You could be manipulating Dean for all we know." Sam responded out of anger, mostly because he was tired of people accusing Ruby of manipulating him. 

After Ariel came back she had been giving off a weird vibe and he wasn't sure what was wrong but whatever it was, he didn't want Dean anywhere near it. 

Dean stepped to his brother and held out a signal for Sam to stop. "How about you take it easy. She saved our lives." He glanced back at Ariel who had stilled after he called essentially called her a liar.

It was unlike Sam to have snapped at Ariel because of a Demon but it was clear that Ruby meant more to Sam than his own soul and that bothered Ariel. 

The red-head nodded slowly, "No, it's okay." She flashed the two humans a dispirited smile. "I'm sorry, you're right- 'cause not _all_ demons are bad, right? " Ariel thumbed the hem of her sleeves as she decided whether or not to go further into the scolding session. 

The angel slowly backed away from the seated hunter. "Because _Hell_ is definitely a place where good-hearted people go." The words dripped from her lips like poison, and Ariel didn't give a damn if she offended the human. 

"I lost _everything_ for you, and if you gave it all up to a Demon, then my death means _nothing_ in the end." As she finished her statement, she folded her arms over her chest and turned to leave. 

"Let's just stop before we all say something we don't mean." Dean stepped between her and the door, gently nudging Ariel back against the dresser. He gave her a stern look and then pivoted on his heel to face his brother. "You sure about Ruby? 'Cause I think it's likely she used us to find radio girl and then brought that demon in to kill us."

"No," Sam retreated back to his original veiled state, reaching for the motel towel and holding it to his injured arm. He was angry, furious that no one trusted his decisions. Who cared if Ariel was an archangel...it was clear something was wrong with the angels so Sam shoved the ginger into that category. 

"She took Anna to keep her safe." He finished.

Ariel sat on the edge of the desk, tapping her fingers against the wood. It was clear that she didn't want to stay to see where this conversation was heading. Sam was more patient with Dean than her and she was starting to believe that maybe Sam doesn't like her anymore. 

Dean blocked Ariel from Sam's sight, to create less of a problem if Ariel had any facial reactions to the topic. "Well, why hasn't she called to tell us where she is?" The older brother trudged across the room and rummaged through a bag to retrieve a new overshirt since the other one was covered in blood. 

"Because," Sam started with a peeved tone. "That Demon is probably _watching_ us right now, waiting to follow us right back to Anna _again_. That's why he let us go." He placed more pressure on the towel he was holding and glanced over at Ariel whose eyes were fixed on his body. 

Sam raised a brow, mostly confused as to why she was staring at him like that. A part of him felt guilty for treating her the way he did but she inexplicably came back from the dead and is not acting strange. To him, it felt like she was hiding something but ultimately she was depressed and trying her best not to break down at any minute. 

The weight of everything fell down on her shoulders and there was no vessel inhabitant to tell her that it'd be okay or a voice commentating over everything she did. Ariel somehow felt comfort from that but now she was actually alone and it was an unsettling feeling. The vessel worked as intended but she felt horrible that Camille had to die. She promised to keep her safe.

Dean rotated his shoulders as he slipped into his new shirt. The green-eyed hunter chuckled, "You call this letting us go?" He rubbed the newly set shoulder, there was still a faint stabbing pain. This prompted Dean to search for the icepack and place it on his shoulder. 

Ariel observed this action, tempted to get up and heal him but she realized that she doesn't have that much grace to go around healing at every whim. Her eyes set on the tall man as he responded with slight anger. Everything about him just seemed angry. 

"Yeah, I do." Sam chortled, "Killing us would've been no problem to that thing. If Ariel hadn't shown up who knows what might've happened." He turned his body to finally face the red-head. Sam never had any problems with outwardly apologizing but Ariel just went on a limb and assumed this was his way of apologizing.

"That's why, for _now_ , we just gotta lay low and wait for Ruby to contact us" It was like opening up to Ariel had changed his mood completely. Sam was overcome with a sense of comfort and ease. 

Ariel inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly at that response. It was annoying at how much he trusted a _demon_. A demon of all things in the supernatural world. She could accept a shapeshifter, a vampire, a werewolf but a demon? 

It was clear they were to not be trusted from the get-go yet he chose one over his own family and best friend. 

"How will she contact us?" The ginger pried. 

Sam took in a considerable amount of air before deciding to not open that can of worms. "You're the angel." 

Dean stalked into the room with the bottle of whiskey from earlier and set it down on the small table with a loud clank. He set down two glasses and peered over his shoulder at Ariel who had her eyes still set on his brother. It was like she was studying him, or maybe his soul. Whatever she was doing, she seemed focused. 

"Red," Dean addressed the archangel, sliding a glass over to the other chair opposite of his. "Do angels drink?" 

The question was random but appreciated. Ariel felt like she might have gone crazy the longer she stared at Sam's ever-changing soul. "Um, our vessels can but it takes a great amount for us to 'feel' it." 

Dean looked upward at the ceiling and smirked at the thought of a drunk angel. "Wanna try?" He asked as he gripped the bottleneck and pour a half-cup of whiskey. After he was done pouring her a decent amount, he poured his own glass and took a seat. 

Sam watched the exchange, a bit confused by the sudden change of topic. He raised a brow at his brother's question, wondering if Dean was trying to get Ariel drunk but then realized it was to get her off his back. He hadn't noticed her staring holes into him until he looked up at her. 

"So, why do you trust her so much?" Dean queried.

There it was. The question again. 

Sam sighed and hung his head low. "I told you." He murmured. There wasn't much left to say.

Ariel pushed herself off of the dresser and walked over to the table where her glass of whiskey was waiting for her. She traced her index finger around the glass before she plopped down in the chair. Her nails were painted white and short length. She tapped her nails against the glass, the sound filling the room. 

Dean glanced at his angel with a raised brow. She seemed annoyed. "You gotta do better than that." He muttered, aware that Ariel might actually burst a blood vessel if angels could even do that.

"We're not trying to pick a fight here. I mean, we just really wanna understand." He raised the glass to his lips and took a long sip. "We need to know more. I mean, _I_ deserve to know more." 

Ariel looked down at the glass of brown liquid, thumbing the edges before lifting the glass to her pursed lips and chugging the alcohol. It burned but she didn't visibly react. She figured if she was about to hear again how Sam and Ruby came to be she needed more alcohol. 

There was a soft sigh that filled the silence. Sam's forehead puckered as he thought back to that special night. "Because..." He inhaled, "She saved my life..." 

Ariel leaned forward in her seat and gently grabbed the bottle to pour herself more liquid courage. She filled the cup to the brim and began chugging that portion while looking right at Dean. 

All eyes were on her as she chugged the two glasses. "Well then, just take the whole bottle. You clearly need it more than I do." Dean murmured and slid the green bottle over to the celestial being. 

"I've been watching you two for a while, I know this story." Ariel just snatched the bottle and started drinking the rest of the whiskey. Beads of alcohol fell from the creases of her lips and trickled down her chin and dripped into the crevices of her breasts. 

"Start from the beginning." Dean waved his hand at his brother to grab his attention from the angel currently trying to get intoxicated. 

Sam inhaled deeply and pressed his thumbs together, trying to recall that night. "I was drunk...sad, miserable. You had just died in front of me. I buried you and I just needed to take the edge off." The tall hunter sat the towel down and looked over to Ariel who still wasn't feeling the effects of the whiskey. 

When no one spoke, he saw that as an opportunity to continue. "I was in my motel room and then a demon attacked me...then and there I could've died. She could've stabbed me but she didn't." Sam sighed. "So when we left she told me that Lilith was upset at her and how she risked everything to get to me, which I guess is a lot considering how Lilith is."

Ariel sat the bottle down and looked at Sam with a major bitch face. Did he really say that? Does she have the right to be jealous? She thinks so. The archangel averted her eyes and studied the bottle, watching it refill with whiskey. Yes, she wasted grace on alcohol but it will refill just how the whiskey did. 

"And so when she said she couldn't help me save you. I told her to go. She said she could help me get Lilith so I listened. She also said she would teach me everything she knows." When he finished, Sam looked up at Dean who seemed to be listening closely to the story. 

"So?" Dean started, shifting in his seat and occasionally peeking at Ariel who was staring at Sam and gulping down the whiskey. "What'd she teach you?" 

Sam smiled and gazed at the curtains behind his brother. "Well, the first thing I learned..." He scoffed, "I'm a crappy student."

"I was trying to exorcise a demon but couldn't and he laughed so Ruby stabbed him. And uh...she tried to _comfort_ me." Sam's words fell off near the end as he got closer to talking about the sex. "She kissed me and I got upset about it but then she uh..." The hunter smiled and pursed his lips. 

"We had sex. It was pretty nice..." Sam trailed off. 

Ariel sat the empty bottle down and struggled to get to her feet. She may have drunk at least five bottles while he was telling his story and it still wasn't enough. "I need more alcohol." 

The sound of wings fluttering indicated that Ariel was gone. 

"Sam?" Dean murmured. 

"Yeah?" Sam responded. 

Leaning forward in his seat, Dean narrowed his eyes. "Too much information." He muttered.

"Hey, I told you I was coming clean." Sam laughed and held his arms up in defense. 

"Yeah, but now I feel dirty. And you can imagine how Ariel must feel I think she just downed five bottles." Dean looked over at the seat where Ariel was and pulled his lips into a thin smile. He wondered if he would feel the opposite if he had sex with Ariel. Would he feel light and clean? Or is that a stereotype. A smile danced across the hunter's face. 

"Okay," Dean started, "Well, uh, brain-stabbing imagery aside..." He lifted his occupied hand and scratched his forehead trying to find the best way to put it into words. "So far, all you've told me about is a manipulative bitch who screwed you, played mind games with you, and did everything in the book to get to you to go bad."

Sam being the in denial gentle giant he was, tilted his head to the side and parted his lips at his brother's summary. "Yeah, well, Ariel is biased. She's an angel, they're self-righteous, and there's more to the story."

"Ariel isn't self-righteous. She just cares... a lot and tends to be right from a moral standpoint-" Dean held up a finger as he took a sip from the glass. He had more to say. "Also, stop it with this Angel-Demon crap. Ariel cares a lot about you and this demon stuff is like a punch in the face to her."

A groan erupted from Dean's throat as he downed the rest of the brown liquid, it burning on the way down. He cleared his throat and motioned his hand for his brother to continue. "Just... skip the nudity and angel shaming, please."

"Pretty soon after... _that_ , um... I put together some signs...Omens." Sam rolled his eyes.

Dean rolled his neck and held up his hands, "Saying what?"

"Lilith was in town. And I wanted to strike _her_ first." Sam murmured. 

LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT

Ariel broke into a closed liquor store and went straight for the hard liquor. She tore the handle off of the freezer, by accident of course, and began drinking all of the alcohol she could. 

This was okay; Consuming this much. No, she did not have a problem. 'This was okay.' She kept telling herself as she chugged a bottle of Ciroc Vodka. It burned as it trickled down her throat but the feeling passed soon after it appeared.

Her eyes swam with tears as she thought about her life so far. It may have not meant much to Sam that he was being manipulated but it meant everything to Ariel. She tried so hard to fight against this happening while they discussed it in heaven. 

Yes, humans stole, murdered, raped, pillaged, but there was more to them than that. They suffered through whatever God put them through and believed they could come out of the other side even when things were bleak. They loved people at their worst and made it known that there will always be someone there to hug you at the end of your bad day.

Why did Heaven get to decide the fates of 6 billion humans? Why was she placed with the task of raising Dean Winchester? Did they know she would grow so close to him so soon? There were so many questions and not enough answers. 

Ariel hated her father, but she loved him because he created her. That was her dad. Despite how nonexistent he was, she loved him and there was so much wrong that he did. And it started with giving the Mark to Lucifer. God knew it would change him for the worse but he still gave it to him because he ' _trusted_ ' him. 

The archangel fell to her knees and poured the liquid into her mouth, some dribbled out of the creases and down her chin. She wiped her chin with her sleeve and sniffled. She missed her brother, Lucifer. The _old_ Lucifer when she was first created. He still had the Mark but he was much nicer and compassionate. He genuinely cared for her. Ariel missed star gazing and visiting other galaxies with him. The private times they had before chaos consumed everything. 

The dejected angel dropped the empty bottle, shattering it to pieces. She needed more, to numb the pain. To not feel the weight of her failures. It felt like a repeat of Cain & Abel. Ariel pulled her knees to her chest and fought back her tears as best she could but the dam behind her eyes broke. Tears poured out of her eyes and fell down her rosy cheeks in small rivulets.

It all started there and there was no telling when the end would come but Ariel felt like it could be soon. Every time she thought about the future all she saw was Lucifer rising. Imagine how mad he would be at her for trying to stop him from escaping. 

She remembered the day like it was yesterday; The exile seared into her eyelids. 

The angel laid on the floor, sniffling here and there when she heard a prayer from Dean.

_'Hey, Red. We need you-'_

MOTEL - NIGHT

Dean's prayer was cut short when Ariel arrived with disheveled hair, puffy eyes and lips, and a pink nose. "Are you...we'll talk about this later." He glanced at the angel but had to do a double-take once he realized that she looks like she may have been drinking too much. 

"We have to go, there are demons surrounding us. This is where Ruby told us to meet her." Sam stretched out his arm to give the piece of parchment to the intoxicated angel. 

Ariel stood there for a minute, staring down at Sam's hand before she snatched the paper and read it. 

It was instantaneous. 

CABIN - NIGHT

Ariel gazed at the grass with hooded eyes, a bit ashamed she let herself get this low. She stepped through the moist blades toward the dimly lit cabin. 

When Ruby opened the door she was greeted by a disgruntled angel who just pushed past her and sat down on the couch next to Anna. 

"Great, glad you could make it," Ruby muttered as she motioned for the boys to come in as well. The demon peered over her shoulder at the angel and then at Anna who seemed confused by Ariel's behavior. 

Dean stepped into the cabin and flashed everyone a wistful smile. "Just, ignore her- She'll be fine." 

Sam stepped over to Anna who stared at them all with wide-eyes, "Anna, are you okay?"

Anna nodded and glanced over at Ruby, "Yeah. I think so." She drew her lips into a small smile. "Ruby's not like other demons. She saved my life." 

It was like hearing about Ruby sparked something in the brooding angel. Ariel inhaled sharply and pushed herself to her feet. "How quaint," She mumbled.

Dean glanced at Anna with a sardonic smile, "Yeah. I hear she does that." The righteous man shifted on his back foot and turned his attention to Ruby who looked at him expectantly with folded arms. 

"I guess I..." Dean cleared his throat and motioned with his hand. "You know." 

Ruby tilted her head at his vagueness and squinted. "What?" 

Ariel stood close by her human with clouded eyes, boring holes into the demon. There at that moment, Ariel never wanted to smite someone more, and it was killing her. She scrunched up her face as she started to hear chatter over angel radio. 

"Why is she looking at me like that?" Ruby took a wary step back from the archangel, afraid that she might smite her. "If you can't control her, I'll leave." 

"Looking at you like wh- Ariel. Stop that." Dean stepped between the angel and demon and place a hand on each of Ariel's shoulders. "Hey, Red- Look, here go sit down over there." With a pointed finger, he directed the gloomy Angel to sit across the room. 

When Dean turned back to face Ruby he huffed and shook his head.

Ariel scoffed.

Sam stood in the background with his hands in his pockets, watching the whole debacle. His attention was pulled when he heard the human girl address him. 

"Hey, Sam, you think it'd be safe to make a quick call, just to tell my parents I'm okay?" Anna looked between the three standing before her, "They must be completely freaked." She laughed.

Dean looked at Sam for an answer and Sam just looked at him. Sam inhaled deeply and looked heavenward, trying to find a way to inform her. Before he could even have the chance to let her down easy, Ariel's voice filled the awkward silence. 

"They're dead," Ariel stated flatly with a deadpan expression. 

Sam and Dean whipped around to the angel with an angry look. Dean looked more pissed that she didn't let Sam handle it. 

Ruby raised a brow, but Anna was struggling with this newfound information. Anna began crying, holding her head in her palms while she sobbed. "Why is this happening to me?"

"I don't know." Sam sat beside her, caressing her shoulder while she cried. 

Everyone flinched when a chair that Ariel was just sitting on fell over. The archangel all of a sudden was standing in front of Dean in a defensive stance. Anna shot up from her hunched posture, gasping and looking upward in fear.

Ariel and Anna spoke simultaneously, "They're coming."

The lights began flickering overhead, causing Anna to panic more. 

"Backroom." Ariel and Dean sang in chorus, which earned Ariel an incomprehensible look from Dean. Maybe it was that she went from moody teen to quick thinking soldier in under one second, that earned her look. Maybe not. 

Sam shot up and grabbed Anna quickly, taking Anna to the back room and hurriedly making his way back. 

Ariel kept her feet planted on the floor as she tried to focus on what all the angels were saying. It was hard to get past all the loud chatter while under the influence.

Dean tossed Sam a shotgun and Sam trained it on the back exit. The short-haired hunter stalked over to the other entrance and peeked out of the curtains while Ruby rushed to the duffle bag in search of her knife. 

"Where's the knife?" Ruby queried, hoping they didn't lose it. 

Ariel straightened once she realized who found them. They were angels. "It won't work." She muttered. 

"Like hell it will, it's enchanted. It should work." Ruby snapped at the angel, assuming she meant on the demons. 

Ariel let out a heavy sigh and turned her body. "It does _not_ work on angels." 

Sam and Dean both sighed, knowing that the angels didn't want to kill them immediately. The shotguns weren't going to work either so they both lowered their guns. 

Just then, the door began rattling violently, shaking and then it burst open and a gust of wind blew past Ariel, sending her copper hair whipping past her face. She steeled herself.

Dean watched as Ariel's wings fanned upwards, shielding Sam and Ruby.

Sam and Ruby gulped hard, not seeing any of this.

A trench-coated angel whipped around the corner, followed by an African, well-dressed angel.

_Castiel and Uriel._

When Castiel entered his eyes were first on Ariel's black and gold wings. His azure eyes followed the feathers all the way down to its owner and his jaw tightened. He furrowed his brows at the archangel, more so confused than surprised. 

How was she alive?

"You're alive." Castiel recited in an almost gleeful tone.

Ariel relaxed at the sight of her former friend, Castiel. Her wings fell, to reveal Ruby on one end and Sam on the other. "And _you're_ the reason I died."

Dean's breathing hitched when he saw Castiel. He wasn't sure what to do, should he be angry or glad. He chose the latter. "Please tell me you're here to help. We've been having demon issues all day."

Uriel stood at Castiel's side, frowning at Ruby. "Well, I can _see_ that. You want to explain why you have that _stain_ in the room?"

"She proves to be more _useful_ than you two. You should have retrieved Anna before Alastair even arrived. If I were your commanding officer, I would reprimand the _both_ of you." Ariel stared up at the two asshole angels, her eyes wide and filled with contempt. 

Castiel parted his lips to speak but just smiled faintly at Ariel. She was sassy in her own way and he missed her, a lot. He shifted on his feet and glanced down at the floor, drawing his lips into a tight line. "We're here for Anna." 

Ariel stood tall with her arms folded over her chest as she eyed at the soldier, "That much I figured." She jeered.

Uriel slid his hands into his pockets, wanting to waste no time. "Just give her to us," He demanded.

Sam stared at the two angels warily, "Are you gonna help her?" 

Castiel hesitantly made eye contact with Ariel, aware that she might not react very well to the information being said aloud. "No," He huffed, fixing his sapphire eyes on the two hunters behind the Archangel. "She has to die." 

Ariel advanced on the angels, "Touch her I dare you." She stared up at Uriel with her golden grace-filled eyes. 

"Out of the way," Uriel muttered. 

The guardian laughed, "Or what? Gonna break out the cuffs again?" She held up her wrists. "Take me away, Officer." She ridiculed them. 

Dean waved his hands, not really ready for a fight to break out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, look- I know she's wiretapping your angel chats or whatever, but it's no reason to gank her."

"Don't worry. I'll kill her gentle." Uriel sneered at the hunter, leaning into Ariel's space.

Dean tilted his head and condemned the angels, "You're both _heartless_ sons of bitches, you know that?" 

Castiel took offense to that, snapping his head in Dean's direction. "As a matter of fact, we are. So is she. And?" He gestured in Ariel's direction but didn't look at her because he was afraid.

"Ariel is far from heartless." Dean barked, taking a protective step next to his angel, even though she could protect herself. "Better try another insult, Constantine."

"And, Anna's an innocent girl." Sam stepped behind Ariel, showing that he will aid her if need be.

Ariel laughed as she spoke, "In their eyes, she is _far_ from innocent." She clenched her fists, restraining herself from uppercutting Uriel.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam queried. 

Uriel stepped closer Ruby and sneered at her. "It means she's worse than this _abomination_ you've been screwing. Now give us the girl." 

The righteous man glanced down at Ariel, exchanging a knowing look. "Sorry," Dean shrugged. "Get yourself another one. Try JDate." He quipped. 

Uriel chortled, "Who's gonna stop us? This barely-there archangel? Or this demon whore?" The specialist angel lunged for Ruby but was checked by the 'barely-there' Archangel. 

Ariel growled through clenched teeth, "Precisely," She twisted his wrist and kicked out his knee before striking him in the face. "As much as I want to smite Ruby-" The red-head landed another punch to his face, "You aren't touching her either." 

Ruby went to the far end of the room, away from the fight. 

Through the grunts, Sam's pleading could be heard, "Cas, please no." 

Castiel approached the human with a troubled expression. He didn't want to fight. Cas raised his hand to Sam's forehead but before it could connect, he was yanked back by Ariel's graced and tossed through the cabin's walls.

While she was distracted, Uriel elbowed the archangel in her side, causing her to buckle over. He seized her wrists and swiped her feet, knocking her down. He let his angel blad fall from his sleeve, pulling his arm back to stab her in the chest but his arm was restrained by Dean's shotgun

Dean attempted to hit him with the butt of the gun but Uriel turned around and caught it. The hunter cocked back his other hand to strike but Uriel caught it too, 

"I've been waiting for this." Uriel jeered while cocking his fist back but before he could connect it, Ariel sprang up from the floor and kicked out the back of his knees. She cocked her arm back and sucker-punched the 'specialist' until she saw no movement, blood splattered on her face with each raise of her fist.

The archangel kept striking, taking her frustration out on the angel, close to bashing his head in until she felt a weird sensation. 

Dean gawked at the scene before him, quite surprised that Ariel lost her composure so quickly. He felt conflicted about what just happened. Yes, the guy was a dick. Did he deserve the beating? Yes. But did it need to be that brutal? Maybe. 

A small smile appeared on Dean's face but quickly fell when a bright light engulfed Castiel, Uriel, and then lastly Ariel. 

"Red?" Dean panted. 

The jaded man took a leery step forward as the shadow of her wings were now projected on the cabin walls. They were wrapped around Dean at the time she was standing near him. His breathing hitched in his throat as a bright light engulfed the room, and when it died down, all three angels were gone. 

Dean brought his hands up to his head, "No..." He ran his digits through his hair and shook his head in denial. 

"Where's Ariel?" Sam breathed.

_**TO BE CONTINUED...** _


	8. Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Summary:
> 
> Anna recalls her past and Sam and Dean understand why Castiel and Uriel want her dead. Anna recognizes Ariel from 'work' but doesn't remember her as the new and improved angel she is now. Ariel and Dean finally steal a moment for themselves
> 
> Character(s): Ariel, Dean, Sam, Ruby, Anna, Castiel, Uriel, Lucifer, Michael
> 
> Warning(s): MAJOR Angst, Little bit of Crack, Angelcest??? Typical SUPERNATURAL Violence, Mild Language
> 
> Word count: 16,050+

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I've been struggling to write this chapter since I have to write more than 3 characters than what I'm used to. Writing for Sam, Ariel and Dean is easy peasy but Ruby, Anna, Pamela, and the others are very difficult. I am publishing this chapter into two parts since I feel like that would be the easiest and because it's very long.
> 
> Also, I have no idea how Angel relationships work. They don't share the same DNA at all but only the same creator so under that, they are somewhat 'related' but not technically. Ariel and Lucifer have a strange, toxic, codependent relationship to begin with because of the bond- so I can expect them to be strange and touchy but with Michael and Ariel, she shuns it.
> 
> Please feel free to leave feedback.

**_PREVIOUSLY ON HEY JUDE_ **

_The jaded man took a leery step forward as her wings were now projected onto him for the others to see. They were wrapped around Dean at the time she was standing near him. His breathing hitched in his throat as a bright light engulfed the room, and when it died down, all three angels were gone._

_Dean brought his hands up to his head, "No..." He ran his digits through his hair and shook his head in denial._

_"Where's Ariel?" Sam breathed._

**_NOW_ **

CABIN - NIGHT

This shouldn't be happening to them, not again. Though they only knew Ariel for a couple of months, the boys considered her family. And to have that person constantly ripped from you; It hurts.

Sam straightened at the sight of his older brother nearly close to breaking. It was nice to see Dean smile so much in a small span of time and then to have that reason for his smile disappear, it gutted Sam.

"Fuck," Dean muttered through clenched teeth. He inhaled deeply, uncertain if he should pray. What would be the point? The broken man wiped the blood from his cheek as he pivoted on his heel and started for the backroom.

Once he reached the door, he opened it, seeing blood drip down the woman's arms. "Anna!" Dean shouted, rushing over to her and pulling a bandana from his pocket. He began wrapping it around her cuts.

"Are they- are they gone?" Anna inhaled sharply as she sank down into the chair. She glanced at Dean with a small smile, hoping that the offending angels had vanished.

Sam and Ruby blocked the door, peering in to see what had been going on in the room. Sam furrowed his brows in confusion, studying the sigil on the mirror.

Dean pulled the scarf tight to cut off circulation and tried his best to collect himself before speaking, "What did you do? Did you kill them?"

Anna shook her head and let it fall back as she gazed up at Dean, "No. I sent them away...far away"

The hunter took in her words and just let out a heavy sigh, "Yeah, Well you sent Ariel away too...so wanna tell me how?" Dean tore himself away from the girl, a bit upset that he couldn't check on Ariel. She didn't particularly have a cellphone.

"That just popped in my head. I don't know how I did it," Anna began to panic. "I just did it." She added with emphasis.

Dean shut his eyes and dragged his hand over his face before nodding his head. "Alright," He muttered. The righteous man turned out of the room and slipped past Ruby. He inhaled and glanced over at his brother who spoke in a breathy tone.

"So where did she send Ariel?" Sam asked, a bit concerned.

"Don't know," Dean sighed. He then turned around to face his brother and recommenced, "But she'll be back- So, what do you think?" He gestured to the backroom, presumably Anna.

Sam huffed, "I think Anna's getting more interesting by the second."

"Yeah, I agree." Dean stepped around Sam and brought a hand to his jaw and massaged the area where Uriel hit him. He glanced at the floor and furrowed his brows. "And what did they mean by _'She's not innocent'_?"

The long-haired hunter shrugged his shoulders, "It seems like they want her bad, and not just 'cause of the angel radio thing. I mean, that blood spell-- some serious crap, man." He whispered the last part.

"Something's going on with her," Dean added while shaking his head. He looked off to the left before bringing his eyes back to his brother, "See what you can find out."

Sam raised his brows at that command, "What are you gonna do?"

Dean nodded his head toward the back room, "Anna may have sent the angels to the outfield, but, sooner or later, they're gonna be back." He shifted before he resumed speaking, "We gotta get ourselves safe now, and we can't depend on Ariel to save our asses each time."

EMPTY FIELD A FEW STATES AWAY - NIGHT

"FUCK!" Ariel shouted as she pulled herself out of the hole that was made when she descended. The archangel peered over her shoulders at her crooked feathers with a glowering look.

A car drove by with its headlights stealing her attention and blinding her before she returned it to her disheveled wings.

"How annoying," Ariel grumbled to herself. Whilst bringing a filth covered hand to her copper tresses and pushing a few strays behind her ear, she let out a defeated sigh. "I had it under control."

_No, she did not._

As she fixed the crooked feathers, a gruff voice reverberated through her vessel's skull. Someone was praying; Specifically Dean.

His voice was low, almost as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to pray or not. His next words confirmed her suspicions. _'Uh...I'm praying-'_

Ariel snorted as she shook her wings and gave them one strong flap before starting down the highway. _"Get on with the prayer."_ She thought. Dean resumed talking, almost as if he heard her remark, _'We're uh... heading to Bobby's just to see what we can find to protect ourselves. Sam's gonna do some research and see what he can dig up- anyways,'_ Dean sighed. _'Be careful. See you when we get there.'_

The archangel let out a heavy sigh. She couldn't let all of the arguing get to her. Yes, things were much more serious now than in the past but she had to address the situation with almost the same mentality. Saving Anna meant potentially having more allies, having more allies meant more connections and possibly to finding out which seals Lilith will break next.

Ariel took in a considerable amount of air before giving her wings a sturdy flap and flying to Bobby's empty home.

BOBBY'S LIBRARY- NIGHT

A soft fluttering of wings meant that Ariel had arrived. It was quiet, quaint, and...lonely.

"This isn't quite how I imagined the rest of my night to go-" Ariel murmured to herself before browsing the vast wells of knowledge that sat on the shelves in Bobby's library. She traced her fingers on the dusty spinal columns of each book before hovering over a particular book.

A book of the five archangels.

"Interesting," She brought her fingers to her face, nibbling on her nails and debating whether or not she wanted to know what humans thought of her. It wasn't like she already hadn't known but there were different variations.

In some, she was called The Guardian, in others, she was mostly labeled **_'Dilzmo obza'_** which meant _'Other half'_ in Enochian. She preferred the title not associated with her homicidal mate. It was hard to discern whether she was still shrouded in his darkness or was brought out of it- telling by how comfortable she felt in her own skin, she assumed she no longer needed to worry about Lucifer manipulating her emotions from the cage.

The Guardian pried the book from the shelf and took a seat on the orange couch that wasn't too far from the bureau by the fireplace. She flipped to a random page in the book and began reading. As if the universe wanted to shove it down her throat, there, beautifully painted, sat a portrait of Lucifer; An image before and after his exile.

" ** _Drilpa esiasch_** " Ariel murmured instinctively. Eons had passed yet whenever she saw anything remotely resembling _him_ she always said those two words. _Big brother._

The ginger ran her fingers across the aged paper, trying her best not to retreat deep into her mind.

 _'You know sometimes we could try making our own Universe.'_ A disembodied voice echoed through the room, startling the young angel. Her eyes darted around the darkness, searching for a face to match the voice to but they soon just fell on the watercolor painting of Lucifer.

Ariel realized that it was all in her head. She stared at the book with a veiled expression.

 _"Think of the things we could create together. Me, the idealistic God, you, the tiny but strong angel that is_ ** _very_** _supportive."_ The voice whispered into her ear, the hot breath making her vessel shudder.

Ariel's brows snapped together as her eyes glossed over in white. A flashback clouded her mind.

_It was an unusually quiet day, her other three brothers were doing their usual tasks, either helping Father create or training the fledglings; This left Lucifer and Ariel by themselves most of the time, stargazing._

_This happened to be a few days after a heated debate between Lucifer, Michael and Ariel , which put the three archangels in an awkward predicament._

_Ariel followed after her bonded, Lucifer, but never left Michael's side. Ultimately she was torn between the two. In the end, she felt compelled to choose the rebellious angel._ **_Always_ ** _._

_The small celestial being gazed at the passing comet, wishing it were her._

_Ariel tilted her head at the second eldest, "I would just be a supportive angel? Why not help you create and be a Goddess?" She scrutinized him with a raised brow._

_Lucifer shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "Sure- Goddess, supportive angel... Whatever you want." The male let his icy azure eyes fall on his sister's skeptical grimace, searching her eyes for some kind of response but silence fell over the room._

_The silence gnawed at him. What was she thinking? Why didn't she respond to that? It was clear that maybe she had other ideas._

_"I have something to confess-" The both of them spoke simultaneously, shocking the other._

_It brought a smile to the woman's face, "You first."_

_"I have a confession...I don't really think father's creation deserves our love, at least not more than he deserves it." Lucifer murmured. His tone of voice was soft, almost if he was uncertain if he should be telling her this, but he didn't really have anyone else to tell BUT her._

_Ariel gawked at the blonde sitting not too far from her. She wanted to ignore everything that just came from his mouth but it proved to be difficult. The main question that came to the front of her mind was 'Why?' but she decided that she didn't want to know his reasoning._

_"They can be a bit strange...yes," Ariel whispered._

_Lucifer picked up on this mood change almost instantly. Maybe he should have saved his thoughts for another time. "It's more than that." He grumbled._

_Ariel shut her eyes. "We cannot talk about this," She hissed._

_"Why can't we? Are we going to be cast out?" The testy angel laughed at his own joke, showing he didn't particularly care about being caught for talking bad about Father's creations._

_There was a beat._

_The clairsentient being let out a heavy sigh and pushed himself to his feet. He shook his wings, ruffling out a few feathers before giving them a soft flap. They were encompassing his muscular build, soft and pink. Lucifer made no effort to turn his head completely as he spoke to the youngest archangel, "No matter what happens to me, or where I'll go, I'll always come for you."_

_Ariel immediately rose from her seated position, "What does that mean?"_

_His vagueness nipped at her, peaking her inquisitive side. He sauntered over toward the exit, his large wings draping on the floor behind his feet. And before he turned down the hall, he turned half of his body and gave his twin flame an inscrutable look._

_"It'll make sense to you, when you're older..." Lucifer's words trailed off near the end before he continued. "_ **_G'll uran, G'll uran._ ** _"_

_Ariel stared after her mysterious brother, contemplating whether she should follow after him or not._

_She chose the former. She_ **_always_ ** _chose the former._

_Ariel blindly followed after Lucifer._

KITCHEN - MORNING

The sound of birds chirping filled the crisp morning air, the crickets seceding and quieting for the day.

Ariel stared blankly into the brown paper, her mind elsewhere. Why did she always find herself reminiscing about old times when it was clear _that_ version Lucifer was long gone.

A loud slam caught Ariel's attention but she didn't bother to turn her head once she heard the familiar thud of Dean's boots. She heard mumbling and the steps drawing nearer.

"So you hunt things like demons?" Anna's voice could be faintly heard over the sound of buzzing in the back of Ariel's mind.

Dean's voice was deep and clear, "Yup, vampires, ghouls, demons, witches, werewolves, shapeshifters-"

Ruby cut in, "Dean." She casted him a sardonic look.

"Hey, she asked- don't look at me like that," Dean grumbled, rounding the corner and halting once he caught a glimpse of red locks.

There she was, alive, sitting on the couch and reading a lore book like she didn't just almost bash in an angel's head hours before.

Dean's breathing hitched in his throat once he studied her relaxed physique. Large black and golden wings were draped across the couch, like silk. Her trench coat was dangling on the armrest, her legs crossed and lips pursed. She seemed to be in deep thought or maybe disassociated.

"You're here," Dean breathed, his voice coming out higher pitched than he intended. He cleared his throat, embarrassed.

Ariel took a small peek through her sheer curtain of copper strands at Dean who had a constipated grimace. The angel inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, "Well, an angel banishing symbol isn't going to kill anything." She gingerly marked the page for later and closed the lore book.

After setting the book aside, the angel stood to her feet and sauntered past the three beings and into the kitchen, looking for something to snack on. Angels didn't need to eat, but she liked the taste and texture of food. Eyes followed Ariel as she rummaged through the refrigerator. When she turned to face the group, she spoke with her mouth full of chicken., "It's just **_really_** annoying."

Dean raised a finger to protest Ariel shoving the chicken in her mouth but lowered it once he realized that it may have been a few weeks old.

"Sorry, I uh...ruffled your feathers?" Anna giggled at her pun which earned her a pointed look from the archangel.

Ariel chewed the last bits of chicken and swallowed, licking the leftover crumbs from her lips. "You think it's funny but it's pretty disorienting. Imagine getting on a rollercoaster and the drop is an immediate 90-degree angle."

Anna pulled her lips into a tight smile, giving Ariel her best poker face. Dean and Ruby mimicked her.

"Yeah, not so fun, right?" Ariel derided.

The male hunter clasped his hands and rubbed them together, "Right, well, Let's get you into the panic room, Anna." Dean motioned his arms toward the hall that led down into the basement.

PANIC ROOM - DAY

Heavy thuds filled the basement as the four traveled down the steps, and toward the panic room.

"Wow, that is just... Bobby must have had a lot of time." Anna commented on the outer appearance of the panic room, her eyes darting between the demon trap on the floor and the lock mechanisms on the door.

Dean nodded his head, beaming with admiration for his adoptive father. "I know, right?" A laugh came at the end of the 'right' as he made his way over to the heavy door and opened it with ease.

Anna, Dean, and Ariel stepped into the iron room, leaving Ruby outside the traps by herself. With how insightful Ruby was, one could almost forget that she was a demon. Maybe that's why Sam longed after her?

The blue-eyed angel pressed her digits against the rough interior walls, dragging them across and stopping at a few shelves littered with materials used for spells. "Iron?" She quizzed.

"Iron walls drenched in salt," Dean stated matter-of-factly, with a jovial grin. He lifted his head as he spoke, glancing up at the devil's trap on the ceiling. "Demons can't even touch the joint."

Anna gaped at the room in all its glory before her attention was stolen by an offended Ruby.

"Which I find racist, by the way." Ruby sneered from outside the room.

This earned a 'bitch-face' from Dean and Ariel. The angel parted her lips to speak but Dean had put it perfectly, "Write your congressman." The hunter rolled his eyes.

A small smile crept onto Ariel's pink lips, which infected Dean, causing him to smile too.

 _'She likes my jokes'_ He thought. Dean felt giddy inside.

The demon rolled her eyes, "Here." Ruby mumbled as she squeezed the two hex bags in her hands, then tossing it to Dean who caught it.

"Hex bags?" Dean queried, giving the bulbous bags a hard squeeze.

Ruby nodded and wiggled her personal bag, "Extra-crunchy. They'll hide us from angels, demons, all corners."

The hunter gazed at the demon, his brain finding it hard to form words. A short, "Thanks, Ruby," fell from his lips.

Ruby raised a brow at Dean, essentially weirded out by his display of appreciation.

"May I... suggest something more permanent?" Ariel lifted herself from the wall she had been reclining against, her heels scuffing against the concrete floor. She circled Dean before taking his hex bag, it combusting in her palm.

The righteous man's forehead puckered as she had just burned the bag Ruby took her time to make. Maybe her intention wasn't to one-up Ruby but it sure seemed like it. "What is it?" Dean huffed.

"I just think it'll be more effective than a bag- lasts for maybe a year." Ariel brought her thumb to her lips, nibbling on her short-length, painted nails. Her eyes searched Dean's for permission.

Ruby rolled her eyes.

Dean gave Ariel a slight nod, his emerald orbs fixed on her cerulean ones. "Alright," He murmured.

At that moment, he completely trusted Ariel. He shut his eyes once her hand came in contact with his sternum. There was a deep burning sensation within his body, which he did not expect so sudden.

"The hell?!" Dean shouted, swatting Ariel's soft hand away from his sternum. He rubbed his ribcage, glaring at his angel.

Ariel snickered at the surprised expression on Dean's face. He looked betrayed in a way but she knew that he would get over it. A small smile tugged at her lips, "Wards from even the _big bad angels_." She wiggled her brows and giggled.

Dean raised a brow in response. Did she really just burn wardings into his bones like it was nothing and then laugh? He rubbed the area she warded, and glanced at Ruby who was currently struggling to hold in her laughter. He narrowed his eyes at her.

Anna interjected, "So that means from you too?" Her eyes were wide with curiosity.

Ariel kept her eyes on her hunter as she wasn't sure how he would react to that answer. Not bothering to respond to Anna's asinine question, she raised her right hand to Dean's cheek and gave it a small pat before stepping around him.

The sound of her heels colliding with the concrete echoed through the panic room before her soft voice replaced it, "I'll be upstairs." She murmured as she slid past Ruby and carried herself up the stairs.

After the angel exited the hearing radius, Ruby uncrossed her legs and leaned against part of the door that was outside the devil's trap. The demon raised a brow, "Well, she's a peach."

DINING ROOM - DAY

The sound of the impala door creaking and slamming shut is what caught Ariel's attention. Sam was home and Ariel had been excited to see him for some unknown reason.

Sam carried himself up the front steps, his boots scuffing against the wood. When he opened the screen door, his eyes landed on the redhead who had just come up from the basement.

"Hey," The long-haired hunter breathed. He felt as though he hadn't seen Ariel in a while and catching her with a smile on her face invoked a weird feeling inside; one he hadn't felt in a while. Sam gently closed the door behind him, making sure not to make too much noise. He planned on talking to Ariel for a bit before someone came to divide them.

Ariel pursed her lips and slid her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. She leaned against the stairs, giving Sam a quick once over before greeting him back, "Hey." It was soft.

"I kinda figured you would be here already," Sam slightly tilted his head to the side, flashing the angel a pallid smile. He felt guilty for much of the things he said about her. Each time it came to fighting and laying a life down on the line, she was there and always delivered.

The archangel looked elsewhere at his comment, she set her eyes on his soul instead. It was bright, pure, and intoxicating. It outshined many others, including his brother's. Ariel ran her tongue over her lips and let out a shaky breath, "Yeah, that I am. I _would_ have checked on you... but something told me that you would be alright by yourself." She playfully poked at his shoulder.

"Yeah? Well, I think I would have enjoyed the company anyways..." Sam's suddenly stopped speaking, his eyes darting to the basement door every so often. He inhaled a considerable amount of air before exhaling slowly. "About last night... maybe I should apologize."

Ariel shifted her weight onto the other foot, "Really?" She gave him a small chuckle and shook her head disapprovingly. "Sam, it's okay."

"Just-" Sam sighed. "Let me, okay?" He clenched the manila folder in his hands, tilting his head heavenward as he thought of the right words to say. How would he be able to convey how both he and Dean felt in that long month?

At that moment, Ariel didn't see Sam. She saw Michael.

Ariel straightened, "Michael... I can't." She pivoted on her heel and started for the basement but her wrist was caught by Sam, who had no intention of stopping. He pulled the stubborn angel back, taking a substep toward her, closing the gap between them.

"Don't," Sam murmured. He caught her discrepancy but he decided not to call it out since it was most likely instinctual.

She couldn't do this right now, listening to his apology, dealing with his guilt, Dean's paranoia, and her emotions. Ariel shut her eyes and spun slowly, eventually facing Sam who sported his famous puppy eyes.

 _Damnit_.

"I was worried- because your connection to him and I said hurtful things. Then..." Sam tightened his hold on her wrist. He resumed talking, "I just wanted to say... thanks." The hunter finally released her arm from the death grip.

Ariel massaged her wrist, filling it with grace and healing the bruise. She looked away from the boy with doubt etched on her face, "It's okay, Michael."

The tall hunter frowned, "Ariel, it's Sam."

There was a beat.

The two gazed at each other, trying to understand what had just transpired. It happened again, she called him Michael. He furrowed his brows.

"Right... I apologize."

Sam studied the archangel's body language, deciding it was best if he left her alone. She seemed on edge and in her head. He set his eyes on the basement door and called out for his brother.

"Hey, Dean!" Sam shouted.

Ariel heard a faint _'And keep an eye on her'_ with Dean's heavy footsteps to follow. Once he reached the top of the steps, he let out a sigh paired with an eye roll. She would guess that dealing with Anna and Ruby was overwhelming.

"Hey, how's the car?" Dean pressed out, as his brother led him through the hallway and into the kitchen.

A corner of Sam's mouth lifted at his brother's question. It always seemed strange how he treated the impala like she was a person, something Sam could never get used to. "I got her. She's fine." He muttered. Sam peeked around the corner, looking for the surly hunter that usually came with the house.

"Where's Bobby?" Sam quizzed.

Dean dragged his feet across the floor while they made their way through the kitchen and into the library. He drew his lips into a tight smile, "Uh, the Dominican. He said we break anything, we buy it."

The Dominican? Sam raised a brow, slightly taken aback by the fact that Bobby leaves his house. "He working a job?"

"God, I hope so." Dean's whole face scrunched up as his mind put together a colorful image of Bobby. "Otherwise, he's at hedonism in a banana hammock and a trucker cap."

Ariel snickered behind them, causing Dean's head to whip in her direction. He almost forgot she was there with how quiet she was. The jaded man watched his angel rummage through all of the spellwork materials, shaking a jar of lamb's blood.

"Oh no- Now that's seared in my brain." Sam blinked hard, trying his best to get the image of his adoptive father having fun in the hammock; The trucker cap is what brought it to life.

"Mine too..." Ariel whispered.

Dean looked from his brother to Ariel with a cheeky grin, "I mean- you can't see it?" He laughed.

Sam waved his hands, "No, no. Let's talk about Anna."

Ariel sat the jar of lamb's blood down on the counter and moved over to the living room. She then appeared on the orange couch with her legs crossed at the ankles.

At the moment, she couldn't hear the angels. No matter what frequency she listened for, there was nothing. The angel drifted away from the conversation and back into the cave she called her mind space. She dwelled on what happened earlier, rubbing the area Sam had handled.

 _'What's twisting your wing?'_ A voice echoed through Ariel's mind, to which she responded out aloud.

**_"Nothing."_ **

"What?" Dean questioned, his brows snapped together at her random outburst.

"What?" Ariel mirrored his question.

Sam scrutinized the angel, wondering if she's hearing things that aren't there.

 _'You seem stressed.'_ The corporeal voice returned, it was clear who had been speaking to her. Ariel shut her eyes, taking a shaky breath. When she opened her eyes, nothing but white filled her vision. She was in Heaven, not now, but billions of years ago.

_'I can sense when you're lying to me.' Michael gazed at the harbinger angel, waiting for her admission._

_Ariel pursed her lips and turned away from her eldest brother. "I'd rather not talk about it, Micah." The youngest returned her attention to the speech Father had prepared for the newest fledglings. She held her hands behind her back, twiddling her thumbs._

_It had been quiet since Lucifer's exile. He wasn't particularly gone, just banished to earth, a place Ariel could no longer go in fear God's last-child, his other favorite._

_After it happened, Ariel shut everyone out, including her own Father. She never felt so alone, so out of place._

**_"You are all dismissed,"_ ** _God said._

_Immediately Ariel disappeared, retreating to the observation room. Her Heaven, her refuge, the last piece of Lucifer she had beside herself. She pulled her knees to her chest as she watched the earth orbit the sun._

_There he is, so close yet so far._

_"_ **_Tia i ag balit_ ** _" Michael murmured, taking a seat next to the dejected red-head. "He's no good," He translated._

_"Don't pretend to care. You shunned me the other day, claiming I was a spy," Ariel murmured._

_Michael couldn't seem to focus on the forming stars, his mind elsewhere. He found it intriguing how she could just sit and watch the universe._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"No," Ariel pushed herself up from the couch and turned to leave but Michael had snatched her wrist, bruising it._

_"_ **_Don't_ ** _," Michael muttered._

Anna's voice yanked the disassociated angel out of her flashback, "Why don't you just ask me to my face?" She sounded furious.

"Hello, Anna."

Ariel had appeared next to Dean with a welcoming smile. The archangel knew once Anna's memories returned, that things would go south very quickly so she had only a little time to impress human Anna.

Anna relaxed at the sight of the archangel. She wasn't sure if Ariel was using some sort of emotional manipulation tactic or if she actually felt calm in her presence. She decided on the former. When Anna looked at Ariel, she felt like something was off-putting, whether it be her smile or the way the angels talked about her.

Dean glared at Ruby, "Nice job watching her." What more to expect than a half-ass job from a demon.

Ruby gesticulated to the human, "I'm watching her." A pout was etched onto her face. It was clear that she did not like the job of babysitting the human.

Sam shifted uncomfortably, he knew that speaking of Anna behind her back wasn't a great idea. They shouldn't keep secrets- that's how trust issues began. "No, you're right, Anna," The tall hunter turned and took a substep toward Anna, with soft eyes. "Is there anything you want to tell us?" He prodded.

"About what?" The human's eyes bounced between Sam, Dean, and Ariel.

Ariel finally chimed in, "The angels...said you were guilty- Do you remember why they would say that?"

Anna parted her lips, taken aback by the accusation. She had no clue what the angels wanted and to even ask her that- it made her angry. "You tell me," She started. "Tell me why my life has been leveled... Why my parents are dead." The girl shook her head, trying her best to not have a panic attack. She took a deep breath before continuing, "I don't know. I swear. I would give anything to know."

"Look, Anna..." Ariel offered her a warm smile, "I'm sorry about your parents. I really am. And I don't have enough grace to restore your memories- I used a lot last night during the fight and the banish took a lot out of me... but" The archangel drew her lower lip between her teeth and glanced at the floor. "But," She continued. "There may be an alternative."

Dean raised a brow at Ariel's forwardness, "Alternatives like what?"

Sam interjected, "I think I know." Digging into his back pocket for his cellphone, Sam left the room to go call Pamela the psychic.

Looks were exchanged between Dean, Ruby, and Anna. They were all confused, staring at the two best friends like they had lost their minds. Dean clasped his hands together, "Anyone wanna give us a hint?"

"Right, um... the woman whose eyes I burned out-" It took Ariel a while to process what just came out of her mouth. She glanced at Anna whose forehead puckered. "Look- It was an accident. I told her not to look..."

The short-haired hunter pursed his lips and swung his head in Ariel's direction. He gave her a wary look, "I'm not sure if she will wanna come near you. Especially since it was you who did the-" He motioned around his eyes.

" _Wow_ , you must be hungry, Anna. Would you like a sandwich?" Ariel bounced on her feet, quickly slipping her arm around Anna and leading her further into the kitchen. She pushed her down into the nearby seat.

Anna gaped at the angel in adoration, "Angels make sandwiches?" Ariel reminded her of her mother. She missed her mother. The human girl averted her gaze, clasping her hands together before turning her body towards the dining table.

The fiery redhead stretched for the bread on top of the refrigerator and gently set it down on the counter. She took a quick peek over her shoulder at the young woman before responding with a blissful smile,

"I've seen Dean do it a bunch of times-" Ariel chortled as she washed her hands in the sink, "Doesn't look too hard." She concluded.

Dean studied the celestial entity as it moved around the kitchen. He could hear her softly humming as she prepped the bread. The way she carried herself reminded him of his mother, Mary, and he wasn't particularly sure if that was a good thing.

He now second-guessed why he loved her.

The eldest ginger stretched for the lunch meat, sitting it on the counter. "Do you like turkey?" She questioned while peeling back the plastic and turning to look at Anna with a raised brow. She caught a glimpse of Dean gawking at her in the usual way that he did and once she turned, a beatific smile tugged at her lips.

"There it is again..." Ruby yanked Dean from his blissful daydream. He rolled his eyes at the demon, peeved with her habit of ruining good moments.

"There is what again?" The hunter queried. He did not care for her answer.

Ruby's jaw fell to the floor as she finally put together what was happening. She would admit it took her a while to see, but who cared? "Wow," She laughed. "Dean Winchester has feelings?"

"What?" Dean snapped, turning his head to face the demon. He particularly wasn't up for her childish antics at the given moment.

The brunette shook her head, deciding to leave it alone before 'The Great Dean Winchester' stabbed her.

At that, Dean returned his attention to the two women in the kitchen. He could make out the sound of Ariel's small giggles followed by a typical question, "Mayo or no?"

"Mayo please." Anna twiddles her thumbs, waiting for her sandwich.

A pair of boots could be heard, trudging down the steps. Ariel turned her attention to the giant that entered the kitchen and stole half of the sandwich she prepared for Anna. "Sam!" She held up her hands, wagging her finger in a **'no'** gesture.

Sam took a large bite of the sandwich, chewing it before he noticed that all eyes were on him. "What?" He questioned, gulping down the bits that he chewed. "Why is everyone looking at me?"

Ruby scoffed, "That was hers." She held her hand out, indicating to Anna who sat quietly at the table. Anna didn't want to argue with the nice hunter.

"No, It's okay... I wasn't that hungry anyways." Anna lied and gave them all a shy smile and pushed a few stray strands out of her face.

Ariel tossed the dirty knife into the sink and held her hands up, "Unbelievable." Why would she lie about it? That was something the angel didn't understand.

Dean took a substep forward, but before he could get a word out, Ariel vanished. He assumed that she went outside. "Any word on Pamela?" The hunter decided to just get on with helping Anna remember her past.

"Uh..." Sam took another bite of the sandwich before answering his brother, "She said she would help, but no angels." He swallowed most of what was left, "So, I'm not sure if we should tell Ariel to stay up here... or outside."

Dean gave a slight chuckle, "Outside? Sam, she isn't a dog... she stays here- _inside_." The hunter rocked on his feet, pursing his lips as he contemplated on driving or letting Sam pick her up. He glanced at Ruby and that was all it took to grab his jacket and snatch the keys from Sam.

"I'll get the psychic, you get Anna back in the panic room." Dean started for the front door but before he left the kitchen he did a 180 and pointed at Sam and Ruby with a coy smile, "No...uh...y'know." With that, he opened the door and closed it behind him.

OUTSIDE - DAY

Once Dean was out on the porch he halted at the sight of Ariel who was staring heavenward with parted lips. Was she praying or listening? It was hard to tell. She always seemed to be staring upwards. The righteous man started down the steps, maneuvering around Ariel's large wings and holding onto the railing for support. As he reached the bottom step, Ariel's melodic voice filled his ears.

"Are you sure you should go alone?" The ginger pushed herself to her feet, taking a few steps toward the human. She looked into his eyes while lifting her hand to his sternum and over his heart. A line appeared between her brows. "It's just, I won't be able to find you if something happens," She murmured.

Dean caught her wrist, gripping it with care. He lifted a brow at her worrying, "Nah, I'll be fine." He ran his thumb over the back of her hand before lowering it and turning away. "Sam and Anna need you more in case those hex bags are shit," The green-eyed human sauntered over to his sleek Impala and perched himself against it.

"Okay?" Dean gazed at his angel.

Ariel pursed her lips and nodded, "Okay."

The wearied man gave a lopsided grin then opened the driver side door, but before he climbed in, he glanced over his shoulder at the pouting angel and parted his lips as if he were apart to tell her to come but decided against it. He climbed into the car, started the ignition, and pulled off into the distance.

Ariel watched the impala drive around the heap of cars and disappear. She let out a heavy sigh as this particular scenario reminded her of the job change.

The angel plopped down on the steps, resting her head in her palms. A flashback ensued

_"I'm telling you that Father said_ **_NO"_ ** _Michael's voice carried through the observation room, startling a few of the lesser angels in the next room over. He folded his arms over his chest, puffing it out as he glared down at the small archangel. "You can't go...This isn't your job anymore." Michael's forehead puckered._

_"But they need me, I can help, I specialize in the human and nature category-" Ariel took a shaky breath before recommencing, "_ **_I_ ** _sit and watch them all day, It's my job on gathering the reports, Micah." The redhead's eyes bored into his, making Michael's steel facade crack._

_The dark-haired angel shook his head disapprovingly, "You know I can't let you...not while he is there. He_ **_hurt_ ** _you, Ariel... He will corrupt you. Why are you so fond of him?" Michael took a step forward, slipping Ariel's soft, dainty hand into his, but he was met with disappointment when she retracted her limb._

_"Why is it always him? I cannot understand- He...manipulates you... He wanted your grace for evil- And you only want to go to earth to see_ **_him."_ ** _Michael pivoted on his heel, "You don't care for the humans." He always tried his best not to speak out against Father's actions but_ **_this_ ** _, watching Ariel tear herself apart for a corrupted angel- it ate at him._

_Ariel inhaled a great amount of air before nodding her head, "Alright." She gnawed on her bottom lip, slipping past the eldest angel but before she had the chance to turn down the hall, he gently snatched her wrist._

_"It's for your own good. Okay?" Michael squeezed her wrist, stroking his thumb against the back of her hand._

_Ariel pursed her lips and nodded, "Okay."_

_Michael pressed his nose against Ariel's cheek, nudging her a bit before giving her a small kiss on the cheek. The kiss lingered, the eldest angel shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath._

Ariel's brows snapped together as she could still feel the lingering kiss to this date. It always made her feel...strange; especially around Michael. She could see the difference in his eyes _then_ and _now_.

The sound of the impala driving down the driveway toward the house dragged Ariel out of her fever dream. She wasn't ready to face Pamela and was sure that Pamela didn't want to see her, metaphorically of course.

The celestial entity shot up from her seated position and hastily made her way inside and down the basement steps.

BASEMENT - DAY

When she came bustling down the steps, Sam looked over in her direction, concerned. "Everything okay, Elle?" Sam inquired, stepping over a few things in the basement before reaching Ariel who had a panicked look.

"Did you just call me Elle?" Ariel's cerulean eyes met Sam's warm pools of honey. She pursed her lips, waiting for a response but he just flashed her a sheepish smile and looked down at her pendant. It was a hunting knife; He assumed for Dean.

"Yeah," The corner of his eyes crinkled as he gave a half-smile. "I think I did," He added.

The redhead took a substep back and glanced down at Sam's soul. She took a deep breath before her mouth curved into a quizzical smile, "I like it." She beamed.

Ruby stood across the basement, picking at things on the shelves. She listened to this exchange, a bit worried that maybe Ariel had something with Sam. Though it was clear she had a thing for Dean so why did she look at Sam that way? The demon let out a peeved sigh, as she couldn't afford to catch feelings for someone, let alone a Winchester.

Inside the devil's trap, Anna stood perched against the door with her arms folded across her chest. She was in her own little world, kicking at the trap on the floor. She had no intention of breaking it, she just had nothing else to focus on since Dean was gone and the others were immersed in their own worlds too.

"It's just- Dean, he calls you Red and I felt like I should call you something else, y'know?" Sam chuckled, with his eyes fixed on her soft features. His mouth set in a hard line as he caught her mid-action, drawing her lower lip between her teeth. The tall hunter's brows snapped together as an unfamiliar feeling came over him. He stared at her lips as she spoke, but didn't comprehend a word.

Ariel ran her tongue over her bottom lip before drawing it between her teeth, "No one has ever called me that so... I appreciate it." She pursed her lips paying no mind to where his eyes were, as hers were on his soul.

Ruby peered at the two best friends, scrutinizing Sam for his eye placement. She furrowed her brows and took in a short breath as if she were about to confront him but Dean's voice cut her off.

"We're here!" Dean shouted from the top of the steps. He held Pamela close and tight as he led her down the stairs.

At the sound of his brother's voice, Sam briskly walked over to the steps and greeted Pamela, "Pamela, Hey!" He grinned.

Ariel steeled herself before turning around and facing the three humans by the stairs. She slid her hands into her back pockets, lightly kicking at the concrete as they talked. She felt like the odd one out now, and that should mean a lot considering there was a demon in the room.

"Sam?" The psychic asked, stretching out her hands in front of her to feel for her surroundings. Her fingers brushed against Sam's hard chest, she ran them along the hem of his jacket before gripping his arms.

"It's me," Sam smiled softly. "It's Sam."

Pamela milked out the blind person trope, squeezing his arms and grinning, "Sam, is that you?"

"I'm right here." Sam placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it tight. He glanced at Dean who stood behind the blind woman, smiling. The tall hunter beamed with joy as the psychic took this as an opportunity to feel him up.

Pamela stroked his jaw, "Oh. Know how I can tell?" She lowered her hand near Sam's leg and slid it around the side before groping his ass. She chuckled, "That perky little ass of yours. You could bounce a nickel off that thing. Of course, I know it's you, grumpy."

Pamela turned her head in the girls' general direction before resuming, "Same way I know that's a demon, that poor girl's Anna, and-" She studied Ariel longer, her brows snapping together.

"What are you?"

Dean glanced at Ariel who was standing incredibly still, her eyes wide. He nodded his head toward the stairs, hoping she took the hint to get the hell out of there.

She didn't take the hint, instead, she spoke, "I am... Elle. Why don't we focus on my friend Anna?" Ariel's eyes shot over to Dean whose lips were pressed into a tight smile. He did not want that apparently.

"Right," Pamela nodded her head with a raised brow. She directed her attention to Anna with an ecstatic smile, "Hey, Anna." The psychic sauntered over to the girl, holding out her hand for her to shake. "How are you? I'm Pamela."

Ariel stepped around Pamela with caution, as the blind woman made her way over to the human girl. Anna held her hand out in return, taking Pamela's and squeezing it. "Hi," She said with a nervous smile.

"Dean told me what's been going on and I'm excited to help." Pamela smiled at Anna.

Anna flexed her arms outward, "Oh." She felt flattered that someone would go out of their way to help her out. "That's nice of you."

Pamela rolled her eyes behind her glasses, "Oh, Well, not really. Any chance I can dick over an angel, I'm taking it."

Ariel perked up at Pamela's comment. She glanced over at Sam who gave her a pointed look and shook his head. Anna asked the one question that Ariel was dreading, "Why?"

The psychic pulled her lips into a thin line, "They stole something from me." She brought her hand up to her face and removed her sunglasses, revealing her white prosthetic eyes. "Demon-y, I know. But they're just plastic. Good for business and it makes me look extra-psychic, don't you think?" Pamela wiggled both her brows, making Anna laugh. "Now... How about you tell me," She slipped her glasses back on before finishing her statement. "What your deal is? Hmm? Don't you worry."

Ariel watched the two women turn and walk away before snapping her head in Dean's direction. The hunter held up his hands as if he were saying 'What?' Before Dean got the chance to join the others in the Panic room, he was stopped by a hand on his chest. "What's up?" He asked.

"Maybe...I should go upstairs." The archangel spoke with uncertainty heavy in her voice.

Dean scrutinized the ginger, reading her face for why she all of a sudden changed her mind. His forehead creased as he prepared himself to verbally ask her, "Why?"

Ariel turned slightly, "Um, nevermind. It's okay." She made her way to the room, leaning against the wall. The short-haired hunter entered shortly after, a stoic expression etched onto his face.

PANIC ROOM - DAY

Sam caught a glimpse of Dean's face which prompted him to do a double-take. "Everything okay?" He whispered, folding his arms over his chest as he overheard Pamela putting Anna to sleep.

Dean gave him a curt nod, "Yeah." Folding his arms over his chest, he glanced at the psychic and then back at his brother before whispering, "Why?"

The giant nodded his head toward Ariel who was perched against the oxidized iron wall, her arms crossed with a worried expression etched on her face. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth, nibbling at what little skin she had left.

Sam returned his attention back to Dean, whispering, "She's worried about something. What do you think it is?"

"Don't know," Dean muttered before he walked over to Ariel, who was now biting her nails in anticipation.

In the background, Pamela had asked Anna what her father's name was, "Your father... What's his name?"

A small "Rich Milton" fell through Anna's lips as she laid across the cot.

"Nerves?" The righteous man perched himself against the metal desk by the cot, setting his foot on the chair as he gazed at Anna with furrowed brows. He awaited a response.

Ariel shuffled closer to Dean, "No...I'm okay." Her eyes were fixed on his combat boots. She gave him a small smile before turning her full attention to Anna and Pamela. She dreaded Anna receiving her memories. What would the boys think? The archangel set both hands by her sides, gripping the edge of the table.

Pamela turned her head in Ariel and Dean's direction, "Shh." In order to do her job, she needed all parties to shut the hell up. The psychic leaned back in her chair, "It'll be okay. Anna, just one look- that's all we need."

Anna tossed in the cot, "No." She cried.

Ariel tapped her fingers on the metal desk, her vessel's heart thumping frantically behind her chest and filling her ears. She wanted nothing more than to get out of there _now_. The ginger peeped at everyone before deciding on what to do. Sam and Ruby were staring at Anna with worried looks, while Dean kept his eyes on the back of Pamela's head. She couldn't leave now, Sam had already started suspecting something was wrong and if she left now, it would only prove how guilty she was.

All while this was happening, Pamela moved on with her process. "What's your dad's name? Your _real_ dad. Why is he angry at you?" The psychic asked, only receiving frantic gibberish from Anna before words actually fell from her lips.

"No. _No_....No!" Anna breathed, a light above her flickering.

A small _"Calm down,"_ came from Pamela but it was already too late. Anna arched her back high off of the cot, screaming, "No! She's gonna kill me!"

Ariel quickly straightened, taking a few steps back before bumping into Sam who latched onto her arm for a small moment, "Whoa, are you okay?" He quizzed.

"Anna, you're safe," Pamela tried her best to calm down the frightened girl but nothing seemed to work. It only earned her another scream from Anna.

"No!" The lights above flickered before exploding, sending sparks everywhere. The panic room door shut so suddenly, some force locking it. Anna screamed, "She's gonna kill me!" And arched up from the bed.

Ariel stood by the opposite wall now, her eyes wide.

The Winchesters flinched at the sparks flying above them. Dean jumped from his seated position and went to help but a _"Dean, don't"_ came from both Pamela and Ariel.

Anna subconsciously threw Dean back and into a chair prompting Pamela to get up, waving her hands over the human girl's body, "Wake in _1, 2, 3, 4, 5._ Anna....Anna?"

The intensity of the situation settled down, everyone's hard breathing filled the room. Pamela brought a soft hand to Anna's face, pushing her hair out of her face before asking,

"You all right?"

Sam helped his brother up from his fallen state, glancing at Anna with wide eyes.

The girl's eyes opened, with her mouth wide. Sher raised herself from the bed, turning her head only slightly to look at the blind woman. "Thank you, Pamela. That helped a lot." She affirmed.

Ariel stood with her back pressed flat against the iron wall.

There it was, she could make out the faint glow behind Anna's head.

The archangel inhaled deeply, recollecting herself before she was confronted by Anna or anyone else.

"I remember now," Anna recommenced.

"Remember what?" Sam asked, contempt clear in his voice.

"Who I am." Anna clarified, watching the Winchesters as well as Pamela.

Dean glanced at Ariel who was quiet the entire time. He would have thought that maybe after he got thrown that she would jump in, but she didn't. She stood there, staring at Anna like there was something going on between them.

The hunter held out his arms, "I'll bite. Who are you?"

Anna took a short breath, looking at Dean with a small smile creeping onto her lips, "I'm an angel."

All of the air had then been sucked out of the room, making this exchange between Pamela and Anna awkward.

Dean, Sam, and Ariel stared at the angel, the brothers with worried expressions and Ariel with a guilty look. The silence was soon broken by Anna shifting on her bed, turning her body, and hanging her feet off of the sides.

The wayward angel caught a glimpse of Ariel's copper locks, sending Anna into fight or flight mode. Anna lunged for the nearest thing she could find and held it out as if she were about to attack Ariel but it was more for defense.

"Anna...Put the knife down..." Dean slowly closed in on Anna with his hands out.

Anna shook her head, her eyes darting from Dean to Ariel then back to Dean. "No," She muttered.

Ariel glanced down at the hunting knife and held up her hands, surrendering to whatever this was.

"Anna put the knife down. You _know_ that won't hurt me..." Ariel took a substep toward the fallen angel but Anna lunged forward and pressed the knife against the archangel's throat and pinned her to the iron wall.

The Guardian grunted at the sudden charge, her head thudding against the wall. Ariel did nothing but kept her hands up as she looked Anna dead in her eyes.

Anna shot out, "Why is she here?!" And peered over her shoulder at Sam.

Sam took a step forward, his eyes wide. He doesn't understand why he's fearful for Ariel's life when a regular hunting knife won't injure her.

The tall hunter outstretched his arms, slowly walking toward Anna. "She _saved_ your life- she isn't with them!"

"You heard them, Anna... _lower_ your blade." Ariel delivered those lines coldly, a dark part inside of her awakening.

At the given moment, Ariel wanted to snap her neck like a twig, and get to the next seal but she couldn't. It wasn't the humane thing to do and inside her head, she fought a constant battle between light and dark.

Anna pressed the rigid blade deeper, breaking Ariel's soft skin. She winced only slightly; Angels still felt pain.

The lesser angel turned her head toward Dean, "Like hell, angels like her don't save lives." Anna tried to get through to him but he just stood there, surprised by Ariel's calm demeanor. "She _takes_ them. She came to take mine- she doesn't help at all!"

Ariel looked at Sam with dead eyes, "Get this lunatic off of me, before I seriously hurt her." A complacent smile to match her dead tone.

Sam finally looked Ariel in the eyes, "Wait- What do you mean she takes them?" But if that were the case why didn't anyone else react that way when they met Ariel? There was a small glint of uncertainty in his eyes, almost like he wanted to believe Anna.

Ariel scrutinized the two hunters, wondering what they were going to do. Were they going to let Ariel explain or kick her out? Inside she felt the suffocating darkness, devouring the good in her, and on the outside, she appeared calm.

Anna lowered the knife, "In Heaven- what do you think she did? Think she sat on a chair all day and watched you guys?" She gave her full attention to the hunters in an attempt to sway them to her side. "She was sort of like a dog. Michael says go fetch...she would fetch. Michael says-"

"Kill..." Pamela cut off Anna, stealing Ariel's attention.

Anna nodded her head, "She kills..." She looked at Ariel before continuing, "I used to report back to her... she was Head of my division. She **_watched_** humans for millions of years and then one day..."

Anna turned back to the Winchesters, "She smites an entire city- _Children_ , _women_ , innocent **_people_** that didn't deserve to die..."

The archangel's jaw tightened as Anna unraveled her ugly past. Her azure eyes met Dean's, his chartreuse eyes giving the angel a once over before shaking his head.

"People change." Dean murmured.

This earned him an incredulous look from Anna and a small smile from his archangel.

Ariel returned her attention back to the aggressive angel, "I saved your life... I have changed.

"Ariel is **not** innocent." Anna protested, walking over to Dean who just had a weird look in his eyes. He was ready to accept that she changed rather than lose her. Dean had done some horrible things too, did that mean that he couldn't change?

The worst part for Ariel was Dean, him trying so hard to be loyal, with every instinct telling him otherwise.

Sam shifted on his back foot, "And apparently... neither are you, Anna."

Pamela stood from her chair, "Ariel...why does that sound so familiar?" She turned her head in the boys' general direction. It took her only a moment to piece it together, "Why the **_hell_** is the angel that almost **killed** me- here hanging with you like she's family. I would think you'd kick her ass to the curb once she told you **_God_** had work for you."

"Don't talk about my Father like that..." Ariel tilted her head up toward the ceiling, inhaling deeply as she couldn't process what the hell she was feeling. Was this anxiety or panic? Maybe a little bit of both. She felt like she was on the chopping block although they couldn't kill her, she still felt like she might die.

"Why? It's not like he is actually there for you." Anna sneered.

Ariel pushed herself up off of the wall and glared at Anna with contempt in her voice, "He brought me back from the dead just so I can save your insufferable ass," She closed the gap between them, now in her face. "So that's a giant ** _fuck you_** \- to your face."

The archangel snatched the hunting blade from Anna's hand, spinning her around and forcing her against the wall with glowing gold eyes; There was a small hint of red in them. She held the blade against Anna's throat as her back was pressed flat against the iron wall. Ariel had no intention of hurting Anna. She just wanted to scare her into submission.

"Ariel!" Dean bellowed.

Ariel flipped her fiery red hair over her shoulder and let out a low huff, "You all have **no** idea what the hell it is like- to- to have a connection to **_Lucifer_**." She said his name with disgust. "Not just body and mind- but **Grace**. He's... **inside** of me. I can feel his...claws hooked deep," Her words fell off near the end.

The archangel subconsciously pressed the rigid blade deeper into Anna's neck, it pricking at her skin, drawing blood. "I was **young** \- Dp you _know_ what happens when you disagree with Lucifer? And you're always meant to be together because your Father likes to **experiment**?"

Ariel finally lowered the blade, turning to face Dean who had shared the same choleric expression as her. "So, don't paint me as this _evil_ archangel-" She paused, peering over her shoulder at Anna and gripped the blade in her hands. Before she continued, she stabbed the blade right beside Anna's head, sticking it into the iron wall with great force.

"Because I am **NOT** Him," Ariel growled.

Soon after the outburst, Ariel's heels scuffed against the concrete as she walked past the Winchesters and used her grace to unlock the door. It swung open and she stepped through, furiously strutting over to the steps and leaving the basement.

Only a few seconds passed when the sound of a door slamming shut, echoed throughout the house and startling them all.

Dean flinched at the sound, his eyes still glued to the spot where she jammed the knife into the iron wall. His brain couldn't comprehend what the hell just happened before his eyes. The hunter gulped his jaw and shifted his gaze over to the wayward angel that just attacked his _'girlfriend.'_

_Everything escalated so quickly._

Anna's voice softened, "I'm sorry... But you can imagine why I was nervous-"

Dean cut her off, trying his best to conceal his frustration. He slightly shook his head in response to her half-assed apology, "Don't," He muttered. "She'll be fine...Just try not to attack her again with a knife."

Sam inhaled deeply and glanced at his brother who was just as unsure as him."Let's uh... go upstairs and see if there's anything in Bobby's books." He murmured as he motioned to the stairs,

Anna nodded at this, reluctantly going upstairs with a terrified Ruby.

Sam sighed, "What do we do?" He looked to Dean for help

The short-haired hunter ran his hand over his face. "Not sure." Dean's response was short, but he wore a stoic expression as he was deep in thought.

Today was going to be a long day.

Sam took a deep breath before giving a curt nod and starting for the door. Once he reached the devil's trap he glanced over his shoulder with a wary expression, "Do you believe her? I mean- about Ariel..."

This question earned a soft grunt from Dean, while his eyes were still fixed on the hunting knife. His brows snapped together as he heard a loud _"Dean"_ from Pamela. The jaded hunter turned his body toward the blind psychic and held out his arm for her to latch onto.

"Sorry," Dean whispered.

Pamela held onto Dean for guidance as they left the panic room and headed toward the stairs. She furrowed her brows as Ariel's words echoed in her mind, _'He brought me back from the dead'_ If she was brought back from death a month later, would she still be the same?

Dean kept his eyes straight ahead as he traveled up the stairs with Pamela. A burning sensation filled his ears, almost like there was something that needed to be said but what? He decided he should now thank Pamela for her help before anything else transpired and he never gets the chance to.

"Thanks-" "Dean-" They spoke simultaneously.

A small smile crept onto Dean's lips at the scenario, "You first." He stated as he helped her up to the top step, watching her turn around to face him.

Pamela took a short breath before placing a light hand on his forearm, "There is darkness there... I felt it." Her comment prompted Dean to push her hand away and attempt to walk past her but she took a step in front of him.

"You have to consider... is Ariel really on your side?" She murmured.

Dean's eyes shot up to her black sunglasses, glowering at her with a clenched jaw. "Sam's waiting." He stepped around the psychic and walked into the library where he was met with Sam, Anna, and Ruby; Pamela close in tow.

BOBBY'S LIBRARY - DAY

For the time Dean and Pamela had been in the basement, Anna had been upstairs apologizing to Sam for freaking out.

Anna paced the room, her arms folded over her breasts as she pondered who might have come after her. "Don't be afraid... I'm not like Ariel or the others," She spoke with uncertainty heavy in her voice.

"I don't find that very reassuring..." Ruby argued with her arms crossed as she leaned against the doorway. She remained outside of the library and near the entrance because of the Devil's trap above their heads.

The cherry red-haired woman stopped in her tracks and glanced up at the Winchesters. "So...Castiel, Uriel-- they're the ones that came for me? Not the archangel?"

Dean's reply was abrasive, "No, she doesn't want to kill you. If her _bashing_ in that prick's head isn't proof enough then I don't know what is." He perched himself against the desk, hoping Ariel didn't think he believed she was like Lucifer.

Sam inhaled sharply at the memory of the small redhead using all her strength to punch Uriel in the face. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he thought of her habit of not holding back, it was scary but also reassuring.

"So, you know them?" The giant asked, his eyes following the fallen angel.

Anna reluctantly nodded her head, "We were kinda in the same foxhole..." She fiddled with the zipper on her jacket as she stopped to think of what to say next. She sighed, "Before humans- before you all... I used to report to Ariel."

"So, if Ariel was _your_ boss... What about Castiel and Uriel?" Dean queried, tapping his fingers on the wood.

Anna smiled faintly at the assumption that those two held rank over her. "Try the other way around...Though I'm sure after my fall, someone put Castiel in charge." 

"But now they want to kill you?" Pamela's voice came from behind the angel, drawing attention from Anna to her. She stood leaning against the other side of the door frame but decided it was best to sit down.

Being the gentleman he was, Sam stepped forward to help Pamela into the nearest chair.

Anna let out a small sigh and began pacing the room again, "Orders are orders. I'm sure I have a death sentence on my head."

A small _'Why?_ ' came from Pamela which prompted Anna to stop in her tracks and turn to the group, "I disobeyed..." She started. "Which, for us, is about the worst thing you can do... I fell."

"So like... Ariel?" Sam questioned.

Anna inhaled deeply, "No, that's different-"

"How is it different?" Dean cut Anna off.

"Anna fell to **earth**... became human." Ariel's sudden voice caused everyone to flinch and turn in her direction, she was walking into the kitchen with a bag of what they assumed to be food.

_Food always dissolved tension. Right?_

Anna tensed up at her sudden presence while all the others relaxed; There was an obvious shift in the atmosphere. The fallen angel slowly turned to face her former superior officer, her hazel eyes darting between Ariel's eyes and the food.

"You can relax. I'm going to murder you with Biggerson's." Ariel joked as she began taking the fast food out of the paper bags and placing it on the dining table.

Dean watched Ariel, searching her for any hint of sadness from earlier but she looked unbothered. _At least on the outside._ But Dean knew she was hurting inside.

Sam pursed his lips, "I'm not understanding, If you can become human- why can't she?" He pointed to the copper-haired archangel that stepped past the fallen lesser angel and over to where he was standing. It was odd to have her stand next to him and not next to Dean. Was she mad at Dean, or ashamed to be near him?

Ariel perched herself on the desk, leaning close to Sam, knowing he could relate to maybe how she was feeling with the darkness brewing inside her.

"It's different for archangels- ours refills over a long period of time... but regular angels- lesser angels, their grace doesn't. And removing your grace... it's painful," Ariel informed them.

Anna reluctantly nodded her head in agreement, "Try cutting your kidney out with a butter knife. **That** kind of hurt." She let out a heavy sigh. "I ripped out my grace."

The righteous man's brows snapped together at that statement, "Come again?"

The troubled archangel drew her lower lip between her lip and shifted onto her less dominant foot. "I told you....grace- it's pure energy. It's what let us use our magic," Ariel explained.

"Right... So, I hacked it out and fell. And my mother, Amy, couldn't get pregnant. Always called me her little miracle," Anna glanced over at Dean with a faint smile.

Ariel caught this.

"And the longer she stayed Human... she forgot she was an angel," Ariel added with a curt nod.

Dean raised a brow at Ariel's response. He had to be honest, he wasn't listening. When Ariel entered, his attention went to her wings that were draped around her and Sam. Maybe she didn't mean it or she just propped them up behind her- but it bothered Dean. And she didn't look at him **once** since she had returned and now he felt like maybe there was something wrong between them. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Ruby broke the silence.

"We're screwed," Ruby huffed. She pushed herself up from the frame and shook her head, "Ariel has little to no grace, Anna has NO grace- I don't think you all appreciate how completely **screwed** we are."

"Ruby's right." Anna paced the room once again before stopping and recommencing, "Heaven wants me dead- and if Ariel has no grace- She can't fight off angels and demons. Maybe one side- but even then..." The fallen angel let out a frustrated sigh and looked to Ariel for guidance, it was a force of habit.

Ariel's eyes were fixed on the carpet as she thought over how the scenario would go, "The only solution would be, to find your grace." She pushed herself up from the desk and walked around the side. "Ruby is basically human besides a few magic tricks and strength,"

The archangel unfolded the map of the USA and stretched it out over the desk as she resumed speaking, "Anna is human and I can't even smite a fly... _So_ we need her to get her grace back, whether it be for her- that is... if she chooses to stay human."

"So, **what** , one of you just takes some divine bong hit, and, shazam, and you become Roma Downey?" Dean pointed between the two redheads and each of them nodded but one responded verbally.

"Something like that," Anna replied.

Dean straightened and turned around to face his angel that still hadn't made eye contact with him. He opted to ignore her silent treatment and clasped his hands together, "Alright, Red, I like your plan. So where's this grace of hers?"

Ariel shook her head and kept her eyes locked on the map, "Hard to say," She lied. "After I had the job change, I never paid Anna any mind. She fell sometime around the 20th century...because then- I remember speaking with Castiel. He was... heartbroken to say the least."

Sam smiled faintly at her response, "How old _are_ you?" He knew she danced around the topic of age, he wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if they would be repulsed by the fact she is billions of years old. If anything Sam would probably ask a ton of questions.

A quaint smile danced across her lips, "Like I've told you before, I've been alive since creation- not before..." Ariel gazed at Sam with sweet eyes, " _But_ you already knew that- You're just calling me old." She laughed, keeping her eyes on Sam until her smile faltered when she remembered how serious things were at the moment.

"Anyways," She cleared her throat and focused on the map. "We should be able to figure it out depending on where she fell...so?"

Dean watched this exchange with jealous eyes. He remembered that day... Ariel went off with Sam for two days and they came back acting weird as if something happened between them. Sam would always say _'Ask Ariel'_ and she would just say _'Ask Sam.'_

It was an annoying paradox that would have never ended if he hadn't stopped prying.

Glowering at his brother and not even bothering to listen to the plan, Dean was startled when Sam said his name.

"Dean..."

" _What?_ " Dean snapped.

"I asked if you can take Pamela home while Ariel and I figure out where her grace landed," Sam huffed at his brother's obliviousness wondering what the hell had Dean so caught up in his head. Little did he know, it was him.

"Yeah, sure..." Dean toned down his envy and dug through his jean pockets for the impala keys. Once he found them he pivoted on his heel and held out a hand for Pam to take.

Ariel kept her eyes on the map as she sifted through her deepest memories, trying to remember where her grace landed. She was on earth at the time, right? Yes. The guardian's brows snapped together as she could distinctly remember the screaming. **_God_** , the screaming.

_How could she have done these terrible things?_

_Was that what God wanted?_

**_'Did you change your mind?'_** An incorporeal voice reverberated through Ariel's skull causing her to flinch.

Ruby eyed her, "You alright?" She questioned Ariel who seemed a bit skittish.

Ariel parted her lips, taking in a short breath. She went too deep into her memories and came across horrors and regrets.

_It all overwhelmed her._

" _No_ ," She murmured.

"What's wrong?" Sam straightened as he gazed at the agonized angel. He could tell it had something to do with Lucifer from how she flinched. He now wondered if Lucifer was speaking to her from the cage.

_That couldn't be possible, right? Maybe it was just a flashback._

Anna stared at her former boss with furrowed brows."Maybe just go outside- get some fresh air," She murmured.

JUNKYARD - EVENING

Immediately after she was pardoned from the duty of research, she teleported outside by a heap of cars. She placed a hand on the car for stability but it did not lessen the disorienting feeling.

**_'Does Dad know you're here? Better yet- Does Michael know?'_ **

There it was again. His voice invading her mind, dominating her thoughts and pulling her into an unwanted flashback. She climbed onto a car, sitting upright before her eyes glossed over in white. It was clear these memories were being brought to the light on purpose.

The words just tumbled out of her mouth,

**_"They don't have to know..."_ **

_"Right, but if they caught you here without_ **_permission_ ** _... You'd be in big trouble." The voice belonged to a man, none other than first of the fallen, Lucifer. The infamous archangel stepped forward out of the shadows of his domain to get a good look at Ariel. He sucked in air through his teeth, "So, how'd you find me,_ **_Little Red_ ** _?"_

_Ariel tightened her grip on her sword; A weapon of Heaven. Michael had a Lance, Lucifer had his spear before the fall, Gabriel had his Horn of Truth, and Ariel had her Sword of Justice. Her eyes followed the corrupted angel as he circled her, taking in the sight of her armor and sword._

_"Why are you dressed for war? I thought you were in Nature preservation..." Lucifer asked, appearing behind his sister and reaching down for the sword but Ariel flinched in terror. She had no idea what drew her here but it was clear her subconscious wanted her there._

_The redhead trembled, her grip faltering causing her to drop the sword into his hand._ **_Why couldn't she speak?_ ** _She had so much to say, but now it was as if all the words had been stolen from her lips._

_Her other half sighed at her display of terror, "Ariel, I'd never hurt you... You know that right?" Lucifer wrapped his fingers around the hilt of her blade, striking it into the concrete before taking her head in his hands. He dragged his calloused thumbs over her cheeks, forcing her to look up at him._

_Ariel squeezed her eyes shut, slightly pulling away from him but he only held her head tighter as if he wanted to crush it- but that wasn't his intent._ **_Right?_ ** _He dug his fingertips into the sides of her head, unsure of what he truly wanted from her. She hadn't spoken and seeing her look up to him with vulnerable eyes, it made him itch._

_Instinctually closing the gap between them, Lucifer could now feel her vessel's breath hitting his chin and it bothered him._ **_Why did it bother him?_ ** _He watched her tongue run over her pink lips, prompting him to do the same to his. His grip tightened._

_They stood like this for a while before Ariel finally found the words to say,_ **_"Why did you hurt me?"_ ** _She spoke softly, almost like a hushed whisper but in the empty room, it was loud._

_"Because you hurt me," Lucifer's response was quick and didn't take him long to come up with. He didn't expect the truth to come out, usually, it would have been a snarky reply coated in lies._

_Ariel looked away at this response, shaking her head. "Because I didn't agree with your rebellion?" She queried, placing her hands over his to pry him from herself but he was stronger;_ **_Always_ ** _._

_"Because we were in it_ **_together-_ ** _you were made for me- not for_ **_humans-_ ** _not for_ **_him_ ** _." Lucifer's tone gradually went from soft to passive-aggressive. He snaked his hands up into her hair, gripping it. A small groan erupted from Ariel's throat, earning her a wolfish grin from Lucifer._

_"I was created to serve God. If he tells me to love humans more than anything... I will."_

_"And if he told you to kill me?_ **_Would you do it?_ ** _"_

_"Blasphemy."_

_The youngest raised her hand to his forearm, gripping it. She ran her thumb over his ivory skin, realizing the Mark was gone. Ariel locked eyes with him._

_"Who did you give it to? What poor soul said_ **_yes_ ** _to that monstrosity?"_

_Lucifer loosened his hold on the woman, glancing at his forearm as his mouth curved into a sheepish grin._

_Ariel searched his eyes, "_ **_Why can't we go somewhere else?_ ** _We can leave, go to the other side of the universe, far away from earth, Heaven..." Her voice broke near the end as her eyes started to well up with tears._

_Lucifer's eyes snapped back to her azure one's, watching the tears fall over the precipice and down her red cheeks._

_This was the first time he had ever looked into her eyes and saw both fear and love._

_Lucifer vanished, leaving Ariel all alone._

**_"Not now, Red..."_ ** _Being the last thing she heard before Michael sealed him in the cage, forever._

JUNKYARD - NIGHT

The sound of the impala slamming caused Ariel to flinch, yanking her out of whatever the hell that was. Ariel blinked hard, feeling something wet drip onto her exposed cleavage. She had been crying.

What was the purpose of these flashbacks? It made her think of how Lucifer dealt with being alone for billions of years. What if all he had were memories too?

"Hey, Red. Are you done giving me the silent treatment?" Dean's gruff voice came from behind her, his boots scuffing against the rocks. Once he was closer, he repeated himself thinking that maybe she hadn't heard him. "Ariel?"

Ariel stared at the stars in the sky, wondering when night had fallen. When her human approached her, she stretched out her wings, beckoning him to take his rightful place by her side. She drew in her wings once he did and wrapped them around her and Dean; It was instinctual.

"I wasn't ignoring you. I was afraid."

**"Afraid of what?"**

Ariel chose not to respond.

Dean glanced over his shoulder at her large raven wing, encompassing his figure. He missed this warm feeling, but that was something he would never admit aloud.

The hunter parted his lips, "So, do i have to ask?" He quizzed.

"Did i really torture angels and kill innocent humans? **Yes.** Did I have a choice? **No.** " Ariel replied shortly and reclined back on the windshield. She missed watching the universe, watching comets pass by, and wishing that were her. She had that chance, but now it's gone.

**What did she really want?**

Dean caught a glimpse of her moving in his peripheral, turning to see what exactly she was doing. A despondent smile appeared on his lips as he joined her in stargazing. _'We haven't done this in a while.'_ He thought. One hand propped up his head while the hand closest to Ariel remained at his side, itching to hold hers.

**"I can relate."**

There was a beat.

Ariel wasn't sure what to respond with so she changed the subject, "Have you decided whether or not I'm on your side?" Her voice was soft, quiet.

The question was abrupt and honestly, he hadn't thought that she heard Pamela; He forgot about her super hearing.

Dean raised a brow, **"I never doubted you, why start now?"**

Ariel sat up on her side, facing Dean. Her wings draped over the sides of the hood like a warm blanket, obstructing part of the moonlight that illuminated half of Dean's face. Dean could feel her shifting, causing the hunk of metal beneath them to creak. He turned his head catching her eyes boring holes into his chest.

The corners of Dean's mouth quirked up into a coy smile, "What is it?"

"Nothing," She whispered.

The hunter's smile faltered as recognition dawned on his face, "What?" He could tell _something_ was bothering her. Dean came to an upright position as he watched her carefully.

Ariel turned her body, her feet dangling off the hood of the car. It was hard, being resurrected, hunted, and exiled from your home. She sucked in a sharp breath before letting out a cheerless chuckle, "I've only been alive for 36 hours... and I don't miss _this_." She gestured to the sky and to her vessel's heart, "And despite how hard I protested against Anna, I feel as if I'm no different than Lucifer..."

There was silence.

Dean wasn't sure what to say. The weight of her emotions overwhelmed him and triggered his own. Eyes darting between the ground and Ariel, Dean cleared his throat, "Nah..." He shook his head in disagreement. "You're better than him..."

Ariel snorted, "Am I really? I burned out Pamela's eyes. I tortured poor angels who just wanted freedom...I murdered thousands of innocent humans- **_How_** is that any different than him?" She paused and slid down off of the car, "I punched Uriel in the face."

Dean followed suit, sliding down after her. "Yeah, well Uriel a dick. So-" He held out his arms as if it were obvious.

Ariel folded her arms over her bosom, " _Repeatedly_ , Dean."

"He deserved it." Dean argued.

The archangel scoffed, "That's not an excuse, Dean. I could've found some other way to get rid of him like Anna did. She's good. **You deserve someone like her**..."

_Those words felt like a punch in the gut._

"If this was all too much for you- the fighting, hiding... I mean-" He slid his hands into his jacket pockets, "Just stay in Heaven, save yourself all the damn grief- No one was judging you there... Hell, why even fall in the first place?"

It irked Dean that Ariel repeatedly beat herself up and thought so lowly of herself. How could someone so bright feel so gloomy? She deserved better, she deserved the world, but Dean, he felt like he deserved all the heat.

"I fell because Heaven _caused_ me grief... to either be locked away in fear or- or out here... fighting demons, killing Sam and Anna." Ariel pointed toward the house once she mentioned Sam and Anna. She placed a hand on Dean's sternum,

_"I'm tired, Dean. What if i just give in?"_

**_"What?"_ **

**_"You give in and then what? Me and Sam have to kill you? Do i have to watch you murder the world- Ariel... I know you're tired but maybe there's some other way."_ **

The jaded man shook his head, tenderly wrapping his fingers around her wrist and palm. Dean raised his other hand to her face and tilted her head up so he could properly get a good look at her, "Now you may have this... _darkness_ or whatever you wanna call it, inside you... but it isn't **you**. So, if you doing all of those things make you think you're Lucifer- then what would you think of me?"

A line appeared between her brows as she absorbed Dean's words. He was right, there was a difference, a big difference. **She had Dean Winchester.** Ariel parted her lips and drew in a short breath as if she were going to speak but was cut off by the sound of Sam's voice.

"Hey," Sam shouted from across the lot.

Ariel moved away from Dean and smiled softly at Sam. _'Impeccable timing,'_ She thought as she gave him a once over. Dean immediately lowered his hands and turned to face Sam, clearing his throat, "Hey, uh- Did you find something?"

"Yeah, think so. Come take a look," Sam nodded his head over to the house and pivoted, leading the disheveled duo back to the house.

BOBBY'S LIBRARY - NIGHT

The sound of the front door opening caught the attention of Ruby and Anna. They were standing near the desk, hovering the map on Bobby's desk.

Anna turned toward the trio, catching a glimpse of Ariel's outstretched wings as if she were taunting. Was she taunting?

Ariel tilted her head, wearing an inscrutable grimace as she gazed at Anna who was sharing the same look. It was obvious Anna still held some resentment toward Ariel but what could she do about it? It wasn't like she could fight an archangel and **win**.

Ariel scrutinized the lesser angel, "Hello." Her _hello_ was abrasive.

"I don't trust her." Anna challenged, folding her arms over her chest.

Ariel was taken aback by this statement. Why did Anna insist on causing trouble? She was being honest earlier, if she wanted to kill her, she would have. The superior angel set her eyes on the human, raising a brow in offense, waiting for her to say more.

Anna withdrew a sharp breath, "I don't think she should be here." She gestured to the ginger angel who was currently standing across from her and in between the Winchester brothers.

"Anna, she stays and Ariel no weird-angel-superiority thing," Dean nagged.

"I just want to help find HE grace. Maybe we can get to that if she stopped being so prejudiced," Ariel hissed. She set both hands on the table and leaned over the map, waiting for Sam to expound on what he found but before he could start, Anna also set her palms on the wooden bureau.

" _Guys_...we don't have the time," Ruby murmured.

Cutting it dangerously close, Anna leaned closer to Ariel's face, "Prejudice? Excuse me for fearing for my life. Last I remembered- you took them, not saved them." She sneered at the archangel, begging for a fight, tempting Ariel into showing her _'true self_.'

"Anna, the Winchesters..." Ariel's eyes darted between the boys and Ruby before she decided to add the demon, "...and Ruby are my top priority. My grace is being contained in Heaven along with my two angry big brothers while yours is here on earth and easy to retrieve. If she can't be civil then I will just remove myself from the equation."

The redhead stretched for her black trenchcoat and swiveled on her feet, retreating upstairs.

Dean kept quiet, remembering his conversation outside with Ariel.

"Elle-" Sam held up his hands, watching as she walked away. He let out a sigh of frustration, "Let's just- Okay... So." The tall hunter cleared his throat, "So, Union, Kentucky. Found some accounts of a local miracle."

Dean glanced over at Anna before returning his full attention to Sam. "Yeah? He inquired.

"Yeah. In '85 there was an empty field outside of town. Six months later, there's a full-grown oak. They say it looks a century old at least." Sam looked around the table as he spoke, making sure everyone was listening.

Dean glanced at Anna, "Anna, what do you think?" He tapped his fingers on the desk.

"The grace." Anna returned Dean's gaze with wide eyes, "Where it hit, it could have done something like that, easy."

Dean's forehead puckered at the thought of the oak tree, he briefly looked at the ceiling before pursing his lips and speaking up. "So grace ground zero-- It's not destruction. It's..."

Anna spoke over Dean, "Pure creation."

At that moment everyone took a second to process this information, eyes darting between each other before Dean straightened. "Alright, let's pack and hit the road. I'll check on grumpy."

Half of the group scattered, grabbing their respective items before exiting the house and passing by Ariel who now sat on the steps in the hallway. Sam and Ruby were the first ones to the car, while Dean had gone to the basement to get more rocksalt. Anna was in the bathroom.

Ariel stared blankly at the dark spot in the wood, the sound of her blood surging through her veins filled her ears. She sat there for a while, disassociated from the outside world until Dean's hand landed on hers.

Just coming out of the bathroom, Anna stood quietly at the top of the steps, eavesdropping on their conversation.

Dean chuckled, "Did I lose you there?" A doleful smile tugged at his lips. "C'mon, Let's get moving we found where her grace might be and-"

Ariel pulled her hand away to help her stand up, grabbing onto the banister for support. "Maybe, I should go ahead in case it's not there or it's a trap... they know we're looking for her grace"

"No.." Dean shook his head, taking his leave with Ariel close behind. Once they were outside on the porch he turned around so he could finalize his statement, " The _last time_ those two showed up... Look, you aren't splitting from the group. I'm sorry."

The righteous man resumed his travels down the gravel path that led to the garage and Baby.

"Dean..." Ariel started, stepping down to the last step and pulling at the duffle bag strapped over his shoulder. "Dean, just _listen_. It will save time... We can't afford to lose time because of fear or ridiculous feelings. I could contain her grace and bring it back... _safe and sound_." She pleaded her case, wrapping her fingers around the thick strap of the bag, slowly removing it from his body.

Dean shrugged her off. **Ridiculous feelings?** How could she say that to him? It was as if everything he said earlier went into one ear and out of the other. It was obvious that he cared for her, that he loved her. W **hy couldn't she just accept that he didn't want to lose her again?**

"No.." He repeated again, starting for the garage.

The crunch of his boots on the gravel caused Ariel's nose to scrunch up. She parted her lips to speak but Dean sensed this and cut her off, "I don't want you going off alone." He grumbled.

"You don't trust me." Ariel hastily followed after the eldest Winchester, her heels scuffing against the rocks. **"I thought you would never doubt me,"** She murmured with her arms stiff at her sides.

Anna stood at the front door now, quieting her breath.

Dean immediately whipped around at her absurd accusations, anger flashing in his eyes as he stepped over to her and covered the large distance between them in a short amount of time. He glared at his angel, "You've been alive for one day now. If you want to go on your one-woman mission to save the day with **zero** back-up, be my guest." The hunter pivoted on his heel but stopped mid-turn when Ariel snatched his wrist.

Ariel tried pulling him closer but he resisted her, "Dean, please. _Be rational._ I'm the strongest player. I have wings-"

The frustrated hunter yanked his wrist away, his head snapping back in Ariel's direction, " **Exactly!** " Dean shouted, his voice carrying through the air and grabbing Sam's attention.

Mindful of his volume and temper the hunter let out a shaky breath before taking a deep one. " **You** are our strongest piece on the board. I can't afford to lose you. So, get in the car." He made deliberate eye contact with her so she understood he didn't want to hear anything else.

Ariel let her hands fall at her sides, wondering what it was she had said that made him upset like this. She brushed past him, bumping his shoulder and strutting angrily over to the car.

Once he heard the car door squeak open and slam shut, he carded his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh. He drew his gun instinctively and whipped around, but lowered his firearm once he saw it was Anna. "I thought you were in the car," Dean breathed.

"No, I had to use the bathroom. Y' know... humanly things," Anna joked, giving Dean a small nudge.

Dean laughed and rubbed where she nudged him and nodded his head toward the garage, "Ready?"

Anna gave him a curt nod, "What was all that about?" She questioned.

The hunter's brows snapped together. He thought she was using the bathroom, so what did she mean? He glanced at her and just started for the car again. He hoisted the strap on his shoulder, resting his palm on the side of the bag.

Anna followed the man and made a mental note to just leave it alone. It was apparent he wasn't up for questioning and after essentially coming after his- whatever she was, it made him wary of her. She pursed her lips, "If you need help-"

"Listen, _Anna..._ You're a very nice girl and everything," Dean slid his fingers over the door handle and popped it but not before concluding his statement. "Let's just focus on getting your grace back. Okay?" Climbing into the car, he slammed the door shut and peeled off the duffle, sliding it in the middle of the long bench seat.

Not long after Anna climbed in on the passenger side, Ruby the demon separating the two angels.

IMPALA - NIGHT

Dean caught a glimpse of Ariel's sapphire orbs glistening in the moonlight that peeked through the driver's side windows. He flashed her a wistful smile before turning over the engine and shifting into gear. "Alright, keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times-" He grinned at his joke, looking over to Sam to see his brother giving him the bitch face.

" _Really_?" Sam questioned.

Dean held a hand up as he pulled out of the garage, "What?" He drove down the driveway through the junkyard and then out onto the highway.

Sam shook his head laughing at his brother's nonsense. Dean grinned and pushed play on the radio and turned it down low in case it bothered the girls who sat quietly in the back.

Ruby peeked at the archangel as she shifted in her seat to get more comfortable. "So, you know Lucifer?" She whispered as the A/C blasting plus the low music made it possible.

Ariel's brows snapped together at the inane question, "I knew him, yes." She turned her head only slightly, keeping her distance from the demon. It wasn't like Ruby was going to burn her if they made skin contact but Ariel was all righteousness and pure energy while Ruby... well.

Before Ruby has a chance to ask another question, Dean's laughter could be heard over the cold air and low Metallica music. She turned away from Ariel and gave the eldest Winchester a pointed look. "What?" She queried.

Dean chuckled, "Nothing." Smiling to himself, he took another look in the mirror and decided to explain his joke- that only he heard... in his head. "It's just two angels and a demon riding in the back seat. It's like the setup to a bad joke... or a Penthouse Forum letter," He eventually stopped laughing once he realized he was the only one enjoying the joke.

Ariel stared coldly into the rearview mirror while Ruby rolled her eyes and Anna pulled her lips into a tight line.

The girls were now uncomfortable.

Sam shook his head, failing to hide a bit of his smile as he went to address his older brother, "Dude... Reality... Porn." He was not impressed.

The surly hunter raised a brow at his younger brother, "You call this reality?" He looked into the rearview mirror once again, but with a dejected expression.

Ariel let out a despondent sigh, **"Better than nothing, Dean."** She laid her head against the window, watching the rain pellets beat against the glass.

As he went to return his gaze respectively to the road ahead, he watched Ariel in the side view mirror, catching her face just as the moonlight struck through the window. Her Prussian blue eyes glowed in their own way as if they were bioluminescent.

The corners of Dean's lips involuntarily curved into a faint smile, **"Better than nothing."** He mimicked to himself.

For the rest of the car ride, they went through three cassette tapes before Dean turned off the music and they all just listened to the hum of the Impala.

_This. This was better than nothing._

**_TO BE CONTINUED IN PT 2..._ **


End file.
